Movie Columns

• Feb 2012

  29

  Early Edition: Blake Lively Ready for 'Savages'; New Director for 'Wolverine'; More

  Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

  
  Blake Lively might not be taking her planned trip down the Yellow Brick Road. Lively, who won critical acclaim for her role in Ben Affleck's 'The Town,' is now first in line for the female lead in Oliver Stone's 'Savages,' a story about two Laguna Beach marijuana kingpins who are forced to work for a Mexican drug cartel after the free-spirited girlfriend they share is kidnapped, according to Variety.
  
  Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch have been in talks to play the two male leads, with Benicio del Toro negotiating to be one of the cartel enforcers. If Lively is in fact offered the part, she may have to give up the role of Glinda the Good Witch of the East, which she was considering, in Sam Raimi's 'Oz: The Great and Powerful' for Disney. 'Savages,' which Stone will write and direct for Universal, is being eyed for a June start date.
  
  'Wolverine' may be coming off hold soon. According to TheWrap, Fox has shown an interest in having Duncan Jones direct the film and Jones, in turn, is interested. As you'll recall, Darren Aronofsky was originally going to direct, but he pulled out in March because of scheduling issues. And since the film was to shoot in Japan -- the story line has Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, traveling to Japan to learn from a Samurai master -- the production was further delayed by the earthquake and tsunami that shattered that country. Jones, the son of David and Angela Bowie -- directed the recent 'Source Code' and cult film 'Moon.'
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Sidney Lumet's Best Films

  Filed under: Cinematical, Best and Worst

  
  Director Sidney Lumet, who passed away April 9 at the age of 86, may not have been a "name" director like Steven Spielberg or Alfred Hitchcock (at least not to the general public), but you certainly know the names of his films.
  
  From 1957's '12 Angry Men,' to 'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'Serpico' and 'Network' in the '70s and 'The Verdict' in 1982, Lumet's movies were searing documents that questioned the social issues of their day. Far from being dated, his movies from each era remain as fresh and as relevant as ever.
  
  (Just go on Youtube to see how many fan mash-ups there are of 'Network's cautionary message about over-reliance on spoon-fed media.)
  
  His movies featured towering performances from Al Pacino, Henry Fonda and Paul Newman, ones that are still considered among their finest work.
  
  Read on to see our list of Lumet's best films.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  The Trailer For 'Mortal Kombat: Legacy' Debuts With Guns Blazing (VIDEO)

  Filed under: Movie News, Video, Cinematical

  
  
  Fans have been eagerly awaiting updates on the possibility of more live-action adventures set in the world of 'Mortal Kombat,' the infamous video game series of the 90s. It all started last summer, when a bloody, hard-hitting short film landed on the Web from filmmaker Kevin Tancharoen, and starring Michael Jai White (of 'Black Dynamite' fame) and Jeri 'Seven of Nine' Ryan. Video game fans were happy to see a film adaptation that actually tried to match the tone and impact of its video game predecessor.
  
  Well to all those who were hoping that the short was the start of the something more, you'll be happy to new that Tancharoen's gritty depiction of 'Mortal Kombat' will continue in a new web series called 'Mortal Kombat: Legacy' -- and we have the first trailer for it behind the jump.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Kirsten Dunst Faces the End of the World in 'Melancholia' Trailer

  Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Movie News, Cinematical

  
  Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier goes mainstream -- well, as much as the determinedly indie director ever would -- in the trailer for his new all-star film. "A beautiful film about the end of the world," is the tag line for 'Melancholia,' which stars Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
  
  The setting is the marriage Justine (Dunst) to Michael ('True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard), but while small domestic dramas are playing themselves out, a mysterious planet is also making its ominous way towards earth.
  
  'Armageddon,' this is not. The mood seems, well, melancholic, with swings toward soap-opera-ish high drama. Last year, von Trier described the film only as being "about two sisters and a planet."
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  'Hanna' Star Saoirse Ronan on Fairy-Tale Acting and Killer Training

  Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Features, Hot Topic, New Releases, Cinematical

  
  

  
  In the movies at least, it seems as if violent killers are getting younger every day. Following in the footsteps of Chloe Moretz's Hit Girl in 'Kick-Ass,' Saoirse Ronan plays the title character in 'Hanna,' Joe Wright's new film about a teenage girl who's been trained since birth to take out targets -- and she's every bit as good as her predecessor. Cinematical sat down with Ronan, the Oscar-nominated young star of films like 'Atonement' and 'City of Ember,' and talked about the challenges of bringing to life a character who's an unusual combination of lethal force and fascinating naiveté.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  'Hanna' Director Joe Wright on First-Time Action and the Genius of the Chemical Brothers

  Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Hot Topic, New Releases, Cinematical

  
  

  
  Before 'Hanna,' Joe Wright was probably best known for his period dramas, and could easily have carved out a comfortable niche buttoning up beautiful actresses like Keira Knightley in too-tight clothing and putting them through the paces of anachronistic romances. But his new film reunites him with his other 'Atonement' star, Saoirse Ronan. This time, though, instead of ruining lives, she simply ends them, playing a pre-teen hitwoman who leaves a trail of bodies in her wake as she races to reunite with her retired-agent father (played by Eric Bana).
  
  Cinematical sat down with Wright as the director discussed creating fairy-tale imagery, chatted about his collaboration with electronic music luminaries the Chemical Brothers and offered some insights into the unspoken and unrevealed stories beneath the film's stylish surface.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Schwarzenegger Back in Action (and Not Just As a Cartoon)

  Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

  
  Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to showbiz won't be limited to just voicing his new action hero, 'The Governator.'
  
  The 'Terminator' star is also planning to headline the action film 'The Last Stand,' in which he'll play a small-town sheriff who must recapture a drug cartel leader before he crosses the border to freedom in Mexico. Korean director Kim Jee-Woon ('The Uninvited') will take the reins.
  
  Schwarzenegger is also in talks for 'The Tomb,' for director Antoine Fuqua. He'd play a security expert who is framed for a crime he didn't commit, then locked up in a prison he designed. Hmmm, think he manages to break out and catch the real criminals? Bruce Willis was previously mentioned to star.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Kat Dennings Seduces a Small Town in 'Daydream Nation' Trailer

  Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Movie News, Cinematical

  
  
  
  "It's 'Juno' reimagined by David Lynch," teases the trailer for the new indie 'Daydream Nation,' starring Kat Dennings as a big-city girl forced to move to a "backwards hick town." Bored out of her mind, she stirs up all kinds of trouble, including seducing her teacher (Josh Lucas). We think it looks like 'Easy A' for the Sundance set.
  
  A previous trailer features darker scenes, including a car crash and one character waving a gun.
  
  The film co-stars Andie MacDowell as Dennings' mother and Reece Thompson ('Ceremony') as the boy Dennings' character hits on then dumps.
  
  Watch the trailer after the jump.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  See Buffed-Up Tom Hardy in New 'Warrior' Trailer

  Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Movie News, Cinematical

  
  

  The new trailer for brother-versus-brother fight movie 'Warrior' hit today, with glimpses of a much buffer Tom Hardy and a battered Joel Edgerton.
  
  Hardy ('Inception') stars as the younger brother who joined the Marines, and Edgerton ('Animal Kingdom') plays the older one who became a teacher and had a family he now can't support. Nick Nolte is already drawing Oscar buzz as the father of this fractious clan, a former alcoholic who's now training Hardy.
  
  Picture 'The Fighter,' but with mixed martial arts and the two brothers getting into the ring and fighting each other. Gavin O'Connor, the man behind the inspirational Olympics hockey pic 'Miracle,' wrote and directed.
  
  Our own Erik Childress pronounced it better than 'The Fighter' after seeing it at CinemaCon.
  
  Watch the trailer after the jump.

  
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  'Your Highness' Review: A Half-Baked Tale of Might, Magic and Mary Jane

  Filed under: Reviews, Cinematical

  
  

  
  If you're the kind of role-playing gamer who attempts to have sexual intercourse with every random NPC you come across, then 'Your Highness' was made specifically for you. This is the multi-million-dollar physical representation of a late night Dungeons and Dragons game with friends, one that's gone way past the point of anyone taking it seriously and sinking into that kind of "Who cares?" anarchy that happens when you're up way past your bedtime. You'll have to bring your own 20-sided die, but director / Dungeon Master David Gordon Green provides the rest.
  
  There's a very specific kind of vibe that Green is attempting here -- it's loose, ribald, silly, and no one really seems to care how it all turns out in the end, but the film also wants to show respect to the sword-and-sorcery genre. The balance is such that the action sequences are meticulously staged to hold their own with any sword-clanging B-picture, while the comedy is so off-the-cuff that it's almost immediately forgettable. It doesn't help that there's basically only one kind of joke in 'Your Highness,' and the novelty of hearing co-writer and star Danny McBride utter anachronistic F-bombs is only slightly amusing the first time. By the 20th time, it's downright grating.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Beastie Boys Release 'Fight for Your Right -- Revisited' Star-Packed Trailer

  Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Movie News, Cinematical

  
  

  
  The Beastie Boys released a trailer Thursday for their 30-minute short 'Fight for Your Right -- Revisited' in support of the trio's forthcoming new album 'Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.' And it's a doozy.
  
  As MGM used to say, there's more stars here than in the heavens: Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Elijah Wood, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Jack Black, Rainn Wilson, Rashida Jones, Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Chloë Sevigny, Will Arnett, Kirsten Dunst, Maya Rudolph, Martin Starr, Laura Dern, David Cross, Orlando Bloom and Zach Galifianakis (not all are in the trailer -- see who you can spot after the jump).
  
  We haven't seen the film -- it premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival -- but the video gives you an idea of the insanity that goes on.
  
  Rogen portrays the Beasties' Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Wood plays Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz and McBride takes the role of Adam (MCA) Yauch in an exploration of what happened after the party in the group's breakout 1986 video '(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party).' There's all kinds of wildness and havoc-making, especially when the trio meet up with themselves from 25 years in the future: Ferrell as Ad-Rock, Reilly as Mike D and Black as MCA. (In the movie, the fun is broken up by a trio of NYC cops, played by the Beastie Boys).
  
  'Hot Sauce Committee Part Two' will be on store shelves May 3 but in the meantime the Beasties have provided a sample of one of the cuts, 'Make Some Noise.'
  
  Watch the video after the jump. But beware: it's red-banded, meaning four-letter words.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Early Edition: Ben Stiller Ready for 'Walter Mitty'; Joe Eszterhas Returns to H'wood; More

  Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

  
  

  
  The daydream is over. Fox has finally got their script together for the long-in-the-works remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye film 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' and may have nabbed their star: Ben Stiller. According to Deadline, the film has been in development for ages and had attracted such names as Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen and directors Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Gore Verbinski. But the script was never right and only recently did the studio put Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness') on the case. His version attracted Stiller and the talks are on. Now they need a director for the late fall start.
  
  Remember Joe Eszterhas? You may be too young to recall the bad boy screenwriter, but you'll surely know his films: 'Basic Instinct,' Flashdance,' 'Jagged Edge' and 'Showgirls.' Well, Eszterhas has returned to Hollywood with a new sexual thriller, 'Lust' -- described as a cross between 'Basic Instinct' and 'Fatal Attraction' -- about the sexual hijinks of a 30-year old married beauty who is in love with an older Miami-based fashion magazine publisher but gets seduced by a younger charming playboy on a business trip to Los Angeles. The playboy's Russian assistant -- who is in love with him -- secretly videotapes the new lovers having sex to show it to her husband. And then things really get out of hand. Eszterhas left Hollywood after a series of flops, moving to Cleveland to write books and live the family life. But he's back now, and has teamed with producer Scott Steindorff on this new film, which the pair will try to sell at Cannes in May. The duo are aiming for a late summer start. [The Hollywood Reporter]
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Rob Riggle Closing In on '21 Jump Street' Deal

  Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

  
  If you're wondering why a big-screen remake of a late-'80s TV show about cops who arrest kids is necessary, here's a solid argument: 'Daily Show' veteran Rob Riggle may co-star as a drug-dealing criminal mastermind.
  
  Variety reports that Riggle is in talks to play the lead baddie in the upcoming reboot of '21 Jump Street,' which will star Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.
  
  Riggle would play, according to The Hollywood Reporter, "a member of DAD -- Dads Against Drugs -- who has a burn-marked face and is secretly the main drug supplier."
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Framed: Scream

  Filed under: Columns, Horror, Cinematical

  
  

  
  Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that used to run every Thursday, celebrating the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time. It's time to say goodbye, though. Thank you for reading and for all your support.
  
  [Spoilers]
  
  Wes Craven returns to the director's chair for another installment in the 'Scream' series, which hits theaters April 15. His 1996 film reinvigorated and redefined the rules of classic slasher cinema, effectively changing the face of the genre for a whole new audience. The movie's opening was an intense sequence that immediately made one thing clear: anyone in the film could die. Kevin Williamson's script reads like a standard horror flick about a group of high school students being terrorized by a masked killer, but all bets are off once the limp body of the movie's top-billing star (Drew Barrymore) is seen swinging from a tree. Craven and Williamson lampoon the same slasher clichés that their characters are acting out on the screen. The cast essentially knows they're in a movie, and does all the things horror audiences have been trained to believe will get them killed: people have sex, people party, people say, "I'll be right back" and never return.
  
  A high school girl is brutally murdered, which rocks the lives of her classmates -- especially Sidney (Neve Campbell) who recently lost her mother to a terrible tragedy. When the killer then sets his sights on her, everyone in the small town becomes suspect, but Sidney fights for her life and tries to unmask the killer in the process. The whole time, Sidney and her friends are living out the roles we've become so accustomed to seeing in horror movies, and each character flaunts that self-awareness in the process. Randy, played by Jamie Kennedy, is a movie nerd who even muses about which actors would play the parts of him and his friends.

  
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  In Defense of Keanu Reeves

  Filed under: Cinematical

  
  
  In reviewing Keanu Reeves' latest film, 'Henry's Crime,' critic Rex Reed snipes, "the only surprise in it is finding Keanu Reeves in a role that requires some acting. The movie is not great, but the star is not bad. This, in some quarters, is high praise indeed."
  
  Reed's certainly not alone: A large chunk of the moviegoing public would agree, that Keanu guy just can't act.
  
  Maybe it's because he's so darn good looking that he fails to get any respect. Or because it's so easy to peg him as that "excellent" dude from 'Bill and Ted's Adventure.' (A third film is in the works, by the way.)
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  'Fright Night' Photos: Colin Farrell Shows Off His Vampire Fangs (Moviefone Exclusive)

  Filed under: Movie Photos, Movie News, Coming Soon, Cinematical

  
  
  One of the most memorable horror movies of the 1980s is getting a 2011 update with the release of this summer's 'Fright Night.'
  
  'Fright Night' is just your average story of a typical suburban kid who meets his new next-door neighbor, quickly suspects that said neighbor is actually a blood-sucking vampire, has his fears confirmed when his life is put in danger, watches his mother get put under a hypnotic vampire's spell, must team with a Vegas stage-show magician to slay the undead threat, and somehow save the day. You know, typical teenage angst.
  
  'Fright Night' is filled with plenty of scares, lots of blood and even a few laughs. And now Moviefone has exclusive new images of 'Fright Night''s spooky treats.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Sofia Vergara Meets 'The Three Stooges'

  Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

  
  'Modern Family's' Sofia Vergara is rumored to be very close to getting an offer for a femme fatale part in the Farrelly brothers' big-screen version of 'The Three Stooges.'
  
  The comedy -- starring Sean Hayes as Larry and Will Sasso as Curly -- will be divided into three 27-minute segments (mimicking the length of the original Three Stooges shorts) with much of the action set in the present day (no, it won't be a period piece).
  
  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Vergara's character is a devious woman who pretends to be the wife of a dying man; she wants the Stooges to kill him in his sleep for a handsome sum. The storyline makes up the second vignette.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Early Edition: Javier Bardem Enters 'Dark Tower'; Sly Stallone Wants Walter Hill; Hugh Jackman as the 'Huntsman'; More

  Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

  
  Javier Bardem is on his way to being a gunslinger again. He's in talks to star in Ron Howard's ambitious adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower,' which will come to life as a movie trilogy and TV series. According to TheWrap, Bardem will play Roland Deschain, the last member of a knightly order of gunslingers who goes on a quest to find the Dark Tower, which connects all universes. King is working on the eighth book in the series, which has sold more than 30 million copies. Akiva Goldsman ('A Beautiful Mind,' 'The Da Vinci Code') adapted the script.
  
  Remember Walter Hill, who made a splash with 'The Warriors,' 'The Long Riders,' '48 Hrs.' and 'Streets of Fire' but who has been missing from the directing scene for almost a decade (he's been directing TV and producing)? Well, according to Deadline, Sylvester Stallone is eager to work with Hill on 'Headshot,' an action flick about a cop and a hitman who form an alliance in order to bring down a common enemy. Production on the film is slated to begin this summer.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Quick Hits: 'Attack the Block' Gets Distribution; '300' Sequel Update

  Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

  
  

  
  SXSW Audience Award winner 'Attack the Block' has been picked up for distribution by Sony Screen Gems.
  
  Israeli actor, peace activist and star of 'Miral' Juliano Mer-Khamis was murdered in Jenin yesterday, right outside of the drama and cultural center he established in the Palestinian refugee camp. Mer-Khamis, the child of a Jewish mother and Palestinian father, had been receiving death threats because he was opposed to the military occupation of the region.
  
  The MPAA isn't just urging authorities to go after people who download movies illegally -- now they've asked congress to help them eliminate "rogue sites" that share links to pirated movies and television shows or stream them without permission.
  
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• Feb 2012

  29

  Exclusive: Danny McBride on Playing a Stoner Prince in 'Your Highness'

  Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, New Releases, Cinematical

  
  

  
  If you judged Danny McBride only by the characters he plays, you might think the comedian is a bully and a jerk. From 'Eastbound and Down' to 'Pineapple Express' to 'Due Date,' this is a guy who really seems to enjoy pushing the buttons of his fellow performers. In his latest film, David Gordon Green's new comedy 'Your Highness,' he does that a little bit with his audience as well, taking the template of a fantasy film and transplanting hilariously modern reactions onto its sorcery and swordplay.
  
  Cinematical sat down with McBride at the Los Angeles press day for 'Your Highness,' where the actor was in terrific spirits as he talked about the film. In addition to discussing the development of this oddball project, he talked about defining the family dynamic between himself and his on-screen brother, played by James Franco, and offered a glimpse at a few of the ideas they feared might push the film too far.
  
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