Will Smith Revives 'Annie' for Daughter Willow ... and Jay-Z

Most parents buy movies for their kids to watch. Some parents (likeMr. Will Smith) buy movies for their kids to star in.

That probably sounds a bit harsher than it should, because little Jaden Smith is actually a half-decent performer, so it only makes sense that his little sis Willow (who of course is also fruit from the loins of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett) would have some skills to offer the stage and screen.

Her proud papa is about to bet some cash on that proposition, asVarietyreports that the powerfully successful movie star is looking to remake 'Annie' with his baby in the lead. Additional chatter indicates that Jay-Z may be attached in a musical capacity. Mr. Smith is hoping Sony wants to do the deal with his Overbrook production shingle, and Sony is hoping another little Smith can rake in the cash like Jaden's 'Karate Kid' did. (Hell, the next time Jada has a baby they should all instantly green-light a 'Look Who's Talking' remake.)

No word yet on if Mr. Smith will play Daddy Warbucks in the film, but heck, he already does in real life.

Source

Movie News Quick Hits: Liam Neeson Returns to 'Star Wars,' New Magneto Image and More

-- Two more images from'X-Men: First Class'have arrived online courtesy ofSlashfilm, who have quotes from director Matthew Vaughn regarding that leaked first image and how he had no idea where it came from. The images show Michael Fassbender in full Magneto gear, as well as James McAvoy channeling the powers of Professor Charles Xavier.

-- Guess who's returning to 'Star Wars?"Yup, Liam Neeson willreprise his roleas Qui-Gon Jinn in two episodes of 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'on Cartoon Network. The episodes will air on January 28th and February 11th, and if you're a 'Star Wars' fan and don't watch this show, then what are you waiting for -- it's fantastic.

-- 'Battle: Los Angeles'haslaunched a new websitefor the film that's packed with concept art, language sound-bites and intel about the film's alien invaders. Above is a sketch of what the aliens partially look like. {viaMovieViral}

-- Sonywon the distribution rightsto'Elysium,'the next film from 'District 9' directorNeill Blomkamp.Sharlto Copley, Jodie FosterandMatt Damonare all set to star in the sci-fi film.

-- Disney haveshifted the release date of'John Carter of Mars'to March 9th, 2012, which puts it up against Ridley Scott's recently announced 'Promotheus.' It replaces Tim Burton's'Frankenweenie,'which the studio will now release closer to Halloween of 2012.


-- 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'is in need of yet another director asMike Whitehasleft the projectdue to a prior scheduling commitment.

-- Josh Schwartz, producer of"Chuck"and"The O.C."will produce'Fun Size,'aHalloween-set comedywritten by"Colbert Report"staff writerMax Werner.
--

-- The second trailer has hit forCatherine Hardwicke'snew supernatural romance movie,'Red Riding':



Vulture have posted thefirst fifteen pages(of 250) to'The Texans,'an unproduced script written bySam Peckinpahin 1980.

Bryan Singeris planning todirect a biopicabout dance choreographerBob Fossefor HBO Films. Though the production is currently untitled, it will be adapted from the book'Bye, Bye Life: The Loves and Deaths of Bob Fosse.'

'Let the Bullets Fly,'a period piece Chinese Western starringChow Yun-fat, is nowChina's highest grossing (domestic) filmof all time.

Paramount has locked down aMay 11, 2012release for'The Dictator,'a new comedy starringSacha Baron Cohendirected byLarry Charlesthat was inspired by Sadam Hussein's book 'Zabibah and the King.'

Source

Exclusive: Banksy eBay Seller Claims He Was"Paid Off"

Two days ago,we brought you newsabout a pricey eBay auction that was selling the identity of wily UK street artist, Banksy. Bids totaled in numbers close to a million clams for a paper containing the legal name of the artist, who was recently featured in'Exit Through the Gift Shop.'By all means, seller jaybuysthings' account seemed like an average eBay user's profile, but speculation that jay could be Banksy himself playing another practical joke thickened the plot. Though the auction was supposed to end Wednesday evening, all links leading the the listing had been pulled down before then leaving everyone with another dead end.

We contacted jaybuysthings via email to find out what happened. The listing had been previously pulled because the seller wasn't offering any kind of real, tangible product (hence the piece of paper). When we identified who we were and asked why it had been torn down a second time, someone (email name listed as"Unknown, Unknown") replied asking for proof of our professional affiliation. We shared the link to our original story about the eBay auction as identification and received this response, with a picture attached (see it bigger in the gallery below) around 3 AM today:

"I spent 3 years finding the answer.

I was paid off, now I can tell you nothing.

All I can give you is this photograph."

Was jaybuysthings paid off to keep Banksy's identity a secret, explaining why the auction was torn from eBay? That seems like the antithesis of what Banksy stands for, but perhaps that's another reason to conclude this could be the artist himself? Whether this is him or not, we hope Banksy/Robert/Robden/Robin Gunningham/Robin Banks is tickled that the art of absurdity is clearly alive and well.

Banksy?

Source

'Mad Bastards' Trailer: Sundance Trailer Debut

Did you know that five of the Sundance 2011 features are available to watch through your local On Demand service? Yes, indeed. (See herefor more info!) One such film is a colorful-looking coming-of-age story from Australia called 'Mad Bastards,' and we're pleased to bring you the new trailer, which is available right below the jump.

According to the SundanceFestival Genius page, 'Mad Bastards' is"a raw look at the journey to becoming a man and the personal transformation one must make. Developed with local Aboriginal communities and fueled by a local cast,Mad Bastardsdraws from the rich tradition of storytelling inherent in Indigenous life."Sounds pretty good to me, and the trailer's not bad either.

Check out the trailer below ...

Source

Alfred Hitchcock Will Finally Get a Biopic

The Master of Suspense is finally getting a biopic of his own, but -- as with so many of his classic films -- this is one story that might not turn out like you expect.

It could be argued that the most interesting films tend to be made by the most interesting filmmakers. A true testament to the genius of auteurs such as Akira Kurosawa, and Werner Herzog is that they somehow managed to make movies that were as compelling as their own lives. Yet be that as it may, biopics about filmmakers are few and far between, and understandably so. If -- for example -- the likes ofTaylor Hackfordwere to apply the same formulaic approach by which he made 'Ray' to a plain re-staging of the life and loves of Jean-Luc Godard, the resulting film would be mauled by the critical cogneoscenti as reductive and unworthy of the genius that inspired its telling.

Most legendary filmmakers are inseparable from the form of their work, and any biopic about such an artist is faced with the unique challenge of reflecting that dynamic in its structure and sinews. All of this is especially true ofAlfred Hitchcock, a director so idiosyncratic that the mere image of his profile instantly prepares viewers to enter a cinematic universe unlike any other. Any contemporary filmmaker willing to tackle the master of suspense head-on would have to be pliable and fearless (and equipped with the quad muscles of a line-backer). So with that in mind, why not a guy known for a hilarious documentary about a struggling heavy metal band?

No,Rob Reineris not directing the Hitchcock biopic (though it's not much of a stretch to see him starring in it). According to theLos Angeles Times, 'Anvil! The Story of Anvil' directorSacha Gervasiis in talks with Ivan Reitman and the folks over at Montecito Pictures to helm the film, which would be based on Stephen Rebello's book 'Alfred Hitchcock and the making of 'Psycho.'

The project has been kicking around for quite a while (Rebello's book was first published some twenty years ago), and several noted Hollywood scribes have tried their hand at adapting it for the screen.

Now, the reason that Gervasi is best known for his Anvil doc is not because it's great (it is), but because it's the only feature-length film he's ever directed. If these talks panned out and Montecito committed to Gervasi, they'd obviously be taking something of a gamble. That being said, 'Anvil' was a head-banging eruption of sly comedy and touching moments, wrapped up in a neatly assembled narrative that evinced a warm understanding of what can happen when people come together to make art. As Anvil lived on the road Hitchcock lived on the set -- this is a world that Gervasi knows, just with prettier people and better lighting.

Besides, the best biopics invariably focus upon a specific period in their subject's life, and the production of 'Psycho' seems like as good a choice as any. The film's trailer is more compelling than most entire films, so even if Gervasi doesn't knock this one out of the park, it should still be good fun to see him swing away.




Any thoughts on who should play Hitchcock? Let us know in the comments section below. And for anyone interested in a playful take on the Hitchcock mystique, we suggest Johan Grimonprez's 'Double Take.'

Source

The Not-So-Odd Couple: Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman

Much has been said about the unlikely pairing of 'Dude, Where's My Car' starAshton Kutcherand the recently-Golden-GlobedNatalie Portmanin romantic comedy 'No Strings Attached.' Kutcher is famous for having a hot older wife, 'Punk'd,' being a Tweet-a-holic, and, of course, his reign as dimwit Michael Kelso on 'That 70's Show.'

Portman, on the other hand, shot to fame in 1994 when critics went gaga for her in 'The Professional,' and then again in 'Beautiful Girls' two years later. She took a break to earn a bachelor's degree in psychology from Harvard, and then took on a series of serious roles in acclaimed films like 'Closer' and 'V for Vendetta' upon her return to Hollywood. Now she's racking up accolades and awards for her performance as a tormented ballerina in 'Black Swan.'

At first glance, the two appear to have nothing in common. But upon closer inspection, they actually have quite a lot more in common than you may think, like these 10 totally random things:

1.Both went to college. Portman, as mentioned earlier, went to Harvard. Kutcher worked towards a biochemical engineering degree at the University of Iowa (he didn't complete it).

2.Both were"discovered"by talent scouts for modeling firms. Portman was approached by an agent at a pizza parlor when she was just 11. Kutcher was spotted by a scout at a bar in Iowa City during his college days.

3.They have both locked lips with Mila 'Sweet Lips' Kunis. Portman in 'Black Swan,' and Kutcher on 'That 70s Show.'

4.Both are borderline cocky when it comes to their physical attractiveness. Portman, just last week during heracceptance speech at the Golden Globes, proclaimed that her beau Benjamin Millepied is"the best actor"because he played a character who didn't want to sleep with her in 'Black Swan,' when in fact he"totally wants to sleep with"her. With her parents in the audience. Hmmm. Meanwhile, Kutcher promised that if his 2005 movie 'A Lot Like Love' made it to the number one spot at the box office, he would do a Calvin Klein underwear campaign. Like the prospect of seeing him in his underpants is a bribe-worthy proposition.

5.Portman served as an unofficial consultant about the Harvard experience for 'The Social Network.' Kutcher's incredible success using Twitter has made him the go-to Twitter expert.

6.Both have appeared in SNL Digital Shorts. Portmanthrew down some gangsta rapsalongside Andy Samberg in 2006, while Kutcher poked fun at his Twitter addiction in 2007's 'Tooter.'

7.Both have co-starred with Julia Roberts. Portman in 'Closer,' and Kutcher in 'Valentine's Day.'

8.Both have starred in ridiculous commercials. Portman was featured in the (intentionally) ridiculousfake perfume commercialdirected by Roman Polanski. Kutcher stars in the (unintentionally) ridiculous Coolpix commercials, featuring him obnoxiously photo-bombing everyone.

9.Both have starred in critically accosted modern versions of classic films: Portman as Padmé Amidala in the 'Star Wars' prequels, and Kutcher as Simon in the poorly received homage to 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,' aptly titled 'Guess Who.'

10.Both have had on-screen hookups with much older actors. Kutcher bedded cougars like Anne Heche in 'Spread,' while Portman seduced DILF Eric Bana in 'The Other Boleyn Girl.'

Source

Sundance Feature Roundup: Catch Up Before the Fest Begins

The 2011 Sundance Film Festival officially kicks off tonight with several screenings, but before we dive head-first into this year's film reviews, interviews, scene coverage and special surprises, please feel free to browse through the fantastic Sundance features we've already posted in order to better familiarize yourself with this year's festival and the films screening there. And if you're looking for anything in particular from us, never hesitate to drop us a note and we'll see what we can do.

**All 2011 Sundance Film Festival Coverage**

Sundance 2011 Preview: 20 Movies to Watch For

Sundance 2011: Full List of All Distribution Deals(updated daily; please bookmark)

10 Sundance 2011 Films Most Likely to Hit Theaters Soon

Girls on Film: The Women of Sundance 2011

The 5 Best and 5 Worst Sundance Purchases

Doc Talk: Sundance Documentaries People Will Be Talking About

Biggest Sundance Stars: Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and 13 Other Festival Finds

Source

Sundance Buzz: Beastie Boys and Lake Bell Rock Opening Night Shorts Program

The Library theater was sold out for last night's opening shorts program, partly because it included the one short everyone (incuding us) had been buzzing about for weeks now: Adam Yauch's'Fight For Your Right' Revisited.' We didn't know much about the shiort, except that it came packed with one of the greatestensemble casts we had ever seen, and its all-too-brief synopsis read something like,"After the party ..."

And that's exactly what the short was about. If you've seen theiconic music video for 'Fight For Your Right(To Party),'in which the Beastie Boys absolutely trash a party, then you'll immediately take to the short since it picks up as The Boys (played bySeth Rogen, Elijah WoodandDanny McBride) leave the party, ready to cause more ruckus. After a very amusing confrontation with the people who own the apartment (Stanley Tucci and Susan Sarandon), the short kicks in to a tripped-out extended Beastie Boys video (complete with Rogen, Wood and McBride rapping B-Boys style), which starts with them breaking into a bodega to steal beer and ends with them being challended to a dance off by their future selves (played by Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly), who show up in a DeLorean time machine with a dance mat awkwardly tied to the top of the car.

The celebrity cameos are just that: very brief cameos. The only people who actually have lines are the ones we mentioned above (plus a couple of Bon Jovi groupies (Chloe Sevigny, Maya Rudolph), but fans won't care about the lack of screen time for, say, Orlando Bloom, because what they're served is yet another memorable Beastie Boys creation that's equal parts hilarious, offensive and really great to listen to.

While Adam Yauch's short grabbed much of the attention, Lake Bell's 'Worst Enemy' was our personal favorite short of the night. The actress-turned-filmmaker who's bounced between roles on TV's 'The League' and features like the upcoming 'No Strings Attached' delivers a knock-out punch of uncomfortable hilarity with her debut film, 'Worst Enemy.' The short stars former SNL star Michaela Watkins (why was she fired again?) as a girl with all sorts of image and self-confidence issues who sort of dreams of being a normal girl with a normal life, but is so neurotic that she can't seem to make anything work.

Watkins completely nails the role, to the point where you really want to see more of the character. We're not sure if Bell plans to eventually extend this into a feature, but we hope she does because 'Worst Enemy' is full of so many little surprises that you never want its retro-quirkiness to end.

Source

First Look: Renesmee, Bella& Edward's Child from 'Breaking Dawn' (Upated; Correction!)

{Note: We've been informed that the photo below, while very lovely, isnotfrom the upcoming 'Twilight' film. We thankTwilight Examinerfor the correction.}

In the Twilight universe, there were a few points of curious anticipation swarming around 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.' Would we see half a movie of wolves running around with voiceovers? And, more importantly, there's Renesmee. Would we see her bloody birth? (Kinda. Producer Wyck Godfrey toldUSA Todaythat the birth would be seen through Bella's pained eyes.) And once little Renesmee is frolicking around Forks, what would she look like? It's not like you can just grab a toddler and tell it how to act as if it has the mind of a much older child.

We still don't know exactly how that will play out, but we do have our first look at an older Renesmee, played by Mackenzie Foy in'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.'(Plus the Part One poster above.) And, fittingly, she's nestled in that meadow her young parents love so much.



This is the meadow where Bella and Edward cuddled after she learned that he was a blood-sucking fiend trying to curb his dangerous impulses. It's the field where she almost died at the hands of Laurent, and made plans for her married future.

As for the context of the image, we're going to go out on a loop and guess that this is one of Zafrina's visions that she gives the young Renesmee after the mass herd of international vampires head to Forks. Otherwise, Forks, Washington is having some uncharicteristically awesome weather in theFall or Winter.

Nit-picking aside, what do you think of this first glimpse of Stephenie Meyer's vamp/human love child?

{viaPlaylist}

Source

Clint Eastwood to Direct 'A Star Is Born' Remake Starring Beyonce

File this one either under"It's a really terrible idea"or"It's way out on the edge": According to a report atDeadline,Clint Eastwoodis going to direct (and produce and most likely do the music) andBeyoncewill headline a musical remake of 'A Star Is Born,' the Hollywood morality tale about an alcoholic actor on his way down who takes under his wing and nurtures a young female artist who eventually eclipses his star.

The film has been done three times before: in 1937 by William Wellman with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March; in 1954, directed by George Cukor with James Mason and Judy Garland (probably the most famous version, with Garland's rendition of 'The Man That Got Away'); and then again in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.

The film, being written by newcomer Will Fetters and produced by Billy Gerber, Basil Iwanyk and Jon Peters (who made the infamous third version), is set up Warner Bros., where it has been floating around for sometime, at one point with Nick Cassavetes interested in directing.

Eastwood is no stranger to music and musicals (he played the DJ and picked the music for his directorial debut, 1971's 'Play Misty for Me,' stared -- and sang -- in the forgettable 1969 'Paint Your Wagon, and directed 'Bird,' 1988, about jazz great Charlie Parker) and we can't think of a better director to handle the downbeat material than him (well, maybe Bill Condon, who directed Beyonce in 'Dreamgirls,' or Paul Thomas Anderson if he wanted to take on a musical).

Beyonce as Vicki Lester? We're not quite sure about her acting chops, but she could easily handle the musical numbers. And the male lead? No one has been cast yet, but Deadline spins out a list of possibilities, including P Diddy, Eddie Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Hamm. And that's where this project could get really weird. Or is it just a terrible idea from the outset (though we'd pay to see what Eastwood would do with the saga).

What do you think?

Source

Jerry Lewis Films Set for Remakes

"Laaa-dy."

Can anyone ever duplicate that immortal whineJerry Lewisuttered in his wacky 1963 comedy 'Who's Minding the Store'?

Artificial Intelligence Entertainment and Social Capital Films think so. They've just acquired remake rights from Lewis to 'The Bellboy,' 'Cinderfella,' 'The Family Jewels,' 'The Errand Boy,' 'The Patsy' and 'Who's Minding the Store,' with an immediate emphasis on bringing to the big screen the first three titles.

All those films were made in the 1960s, when Lewis was at his peak -- from 1961 to 1964 he was the No. 1 box office draw in America.

According toVariety,Artificial Intelligence and Social Capital are aiming to develop each film as a franchise for a major comedy star and although particular projects have not yet been set up at a studio, the producers are setting up meetings with actors, writers and directors.

Christopher Tuffin of Social Capital told Variety,"What we're aiming to do is combine the spirit of the originals with a modern sensibility."

"Our goal is to reboot each picture as a stand-alone comedy franchise, drawing heavily from Lewis' comedic genius, as well as his heart-warming storytelling,"John Baca of Artificial Intelligence said.

Lewis' 1963 'The Nutty Professor' was remade in 1996 with Eddie Murphy taking on Lewis' role; the film earned a domestic box office take of $128 million and spawned a sequel. That outing could auger well for more remakes if the films are handled well -- and the right actors are chosen to take the Lewis parts, particularly since all the films revolve around slapstick, pratfalls and sheer Jerry Lewis craziness.

Do you have any ideas on which actors would make good Lewis stand-ins?

Source

The 5 Best and 5 Worst Sundance Purchases

Philosophically, theSundance Film Festival'smost important goal is to give independent films from around the world a venue in which to be seen by enthusiastic audiences, but there's no denying Sundance's other major function: to help the filmmakers sell their movies to distributors, who can then sell them to the movie-going public.

For the industry, Sundance is like a big ol' bazaar, where the merchandise is of varying quality and you're free to browse before you buy. You might get something at a bargain price and turn a handsome profit when it goes to theaters later on; or you might pay through the nose for something you're sure will be a hit, only to lose your shirt when it tanks. It's always a crapshoot (often heavy on the crap), and the only way to know for sure whether the purchase was shrewd is in retrospect.

So here's some retrospect! You'll note that it has nothing to do with quality -- all 10 of these movies are good. Yet somehow, their fates ranged from the miraculous to the tragic.

5 Best Sundance Purchases

'sex, lies and videotape'(1989). This was the sale that established Sundance as a marketplace rather than just an exhibition venue. It also put Bob and Harvey Weinstein's company, Miramax, on the map, and during the indie revolution of the 1990s, it was Miramax that stood at the forefront. Oh, and it launched Steven Soderbergh's career, too.Sundance sale price: $1 million. Domestic box office: $25 million.



'The Blair Witch Project'(1999). This would be a milestone film even if all it did was spawn the now-inescapable genre of"found footage"horror movies. But that is not all it did! It was also the first movie to benefit heavily from Internet marketing (the term"viral marketing"wasn't common yet in those days). After it scared the poop out of Sundance audiences, Artisan bought it for a million bucks, then spent another $25 million on marketing -- an absurd investment that wound up paying serious dividends.Sundance sale price: $1 million. Domestic box office: $140 million.



'Napoleon Dynamite'(2004). Yes, there was a backlash. Yes, a lot of people honestly hated it from the beginning. But you wouldn't have known that in Park City that cold January seven years ago. As soon as Jared Hess' oddball comedy had its first public screening, the town was abuzz. (The town was also soon inundated with"Vote for Pedro"stickers.) Fox Searchlight bellied up to the bargaining table and made themselves a tidy pile of quesadilla money.Sundance sale price: $3 million. Domestic box office: $46 million.

'Little Miss Sunshine'(2006). Two years after its 'Napoleon Dynamite' success, Fox Searchlight struck gold again, this time breaking records in the process. The distributor paid $10.5 million for the film -- the biggest deal in Sundance history -- and bought not just U.S. rights but worldwide rights. (Normally a distributor will buy a film for North America only, leaving foreign companies to strike their own deals for worldwide distribution.) Some Oscar nominations came along eventually, but in the meantime...Sundance sale price: $10.5 million. Domestic box office: $60 million. Foreign box office: $40 million. Total box office: $100 million.



'Precious: Based on the Novel Push By Sapphire'(2009). It was just called 'Push' when it premiered at Sundance, and Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry had nothing to do with it. Then Lionsgate snatched it up for $5 million, Winfrey and Perry lent their names to its promotion, and soon all America was marveling at Mo'Nique's villainy and Mariah Carey's mustache.Sundance sale price: $5 million. Domestic box office: $48 million.


5 Worst Sundance Purchases

'Happy, Texas'(1999). Oh, man. This is the 'Ishtar' of Sundance deals. The light comedy -- with Steve Zahn and Jeremy Northam as escaped criminals hiding in a small town by pretending to be the gay organizers of a beauty pageant -- was purchased by the Weinsteins, back when Miramax was the heavy hitter in this world. They upset a lot of people in the process (as described inthiscontemporary account in the Los Angeles Times), allegedly throwing their weight around and muscling other distributors out of the bargaining process. Miramax says it paid $2.5 million for the film, but pretty much everyone else says it was actually more like $10 million. Either way, it was a bust. What was supposed to be a big crossover hit -- the quirky indie comedy that regular folks will love, too! -- tanked. Miramax's luster was already fading after a decade of influence, and this accelerated the process.Sundance sale price: somewhere between $2.5 and $10 million. Domestic box office: $2 million.



'Son of Rambow'(2007). After an intense bidding war, Paramount Vantage paid $8 million for this nostalgic and raucous English comedy about two mischievous young boys, and I was one of many people who thought they could make a fortune with it. Then, for reasons that remain mysterious, they waited a year and a half to release the film, then delivered it during the competitive summer months. It's a shame, because this one deserved a lot more attention than it got.Sundance sale price: $8 million. Domestic box office: $1.8 million.



'Grace Is Gone'(2007). The Weinsteins again, now operating as The Weinstein Company and showing they could screw things up just as efficiently as they had when they were Miramax. John Cusack starred in this drama about a father who must tell his young daughters that their mother has died in Iraq, and some people were talking Oscars as soon as it played at Sundance. The Weinsteins grabbed it, gunning to reclaim their former glory, held it for the end-of-the-year awards season ... and then saw it disappear. Unable to gain any traction with critics or audiences, it never played on more than seven screens and was quickly forgotten.Sundance sale price: $4 million. Domestic box office: $50,000 (that is, $0.05 million).

'Hamlet 2'(2008). Steve Coogan's surreal and outlandish comedy about a delusional drama teacher was a last-minute addition to the 2008 festival, and it sparked an all-night bidding war once it screened. As R-rated comedies were becoming a box-office commodity again, this looked like it could be a major hit. Focus Features shelled out $10 million for it, promoted the living crap out of it all year, opened it in wide release, then watched in what must have been horror and alarm as it crashed and burned. Sundance sale price: $10 million. Domestic box office: $4.8 million.

'Buried'(2010). Here's another one that looked like a sure-fire hit. Ryan Reynolds is a big star; the concept is cool; it got great reviews right out of the gate from critics of all stripes; what could go wrong? That's what Lionsgate was thinking, anyway, when it paid $3.2 million for it. What Lionsgate was thinking when it subsequently dumped the film on a hundred screens, basically burying it, is anyone's guess.Sundance sale price: $3.2 million. Domestix box office: $1 million. (It made another $17 million internationally -- but Lionsgate only had the North American rights. That $17 million went to a variety of other distributors.)

Source

2010 BAFTA* Nominations Arrive! (* British Oscars)

Now that we're done with the rather tiresome Golden Globe stuff we can look ahead to some awards that actually matter. Yes, of course there are politics and dirty tricks in any"awards race,"but at least one can say that the Oscars, at their essence, are filmmakers voting on their favorite work from their own colleagues. That's also how theBritish Academy Film Awards(BAFTAs)work, and since the British (usually) take their culture just a touch more seriously than Americans do (admit it), there's often an extra dash of class in the BAFTA picks. On the other hand they completely shut out 'Rabbit Hole' and I'm really irritated about that.

Courtesy ofthe BAFTA website, we've shared the full nomination list after the jump, but here are a few colorful tidbits:

• Best Actress has two women from 'The Kids Are All Right.'
• The late Pete Postlethwaite garnered a nomination for 'The Town.'
• 'The King's Speech' led the field with 14 nods; 'Black Swan' got 12. 'Rabbit Hole,' zero.
• 'True Grit' earned eight nominations, which is eight more than the HFPA gave it.
• In the British categories we see 'Monsters,' 'Four Lions,' and 'Exit Through the Gift Shop.'
• The"fan vote"category includes Andrew Garfield, Gemma Arterton, and Tom Hardy.
• Not one nomination for 'Burlesque.'

The BAFTA ceremony takes place on February 13. Click below for the master list!
BEST FILM

• BLACK SWAN Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin
• INCEPTION Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan
• THE KING'S SPEECH Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin
• THE SOCIAL NETWORK Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Céan Chaffin
• TRUE GRIT Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

• 127 HOURS Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, Christian Colson, John Smithson
• ANOTHER YEAR Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe
• FOUR LIONS Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Mark Herbert, Derrin Schlesinger
• THE KING'S SPEECH Tom Hooper, David Seidler, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin
• MADE IN DAGENHAM Nigel Cole, William Ivory, Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

• THE ARBOR Clio Barnard (Director), Tracy O'Riordan (Producer)
• EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP Banksy (Director), Jaimie D'Cruz (Producer)
• FOUR LIONS Chris Morris (Director/Writer)
• MONSTERS Gareth Edwards (Director/Writer)
• SKELETONS Nick Whitfield (Director/Writer)

DIRECTOR

• 127 HOURS Danny Boyle
• BLACK SWAN Darren Aronofsky
• INCEPTION Christopher Nolan
• THE KING'S SPEECH Tom Hooper
• THE SOCIAL NETWORK David Fincher

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• BLACK SWAN Mark Heyman, Andrés Heinz, John McLaughlin
• THE FIGHTER Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
• INCEPTION Christopher Nolan
• THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg
• THE KING'S SPEECH David Seidler

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• 127 HOURS Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
• THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel
• THE SOCIAL NETWORK Aaron Sorkin
• TOY STORY 3 Michael Arndt
• TRUE GRIT Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

• BIUTIFUL Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik, Fernando Bovaira
• THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Søren Stærmose, Niels Arden Oplev
• I AM LOVE Luca Guadagnino, Francesco Melzi D'Eril, Marco Morabito, Massimiliano Violante
• OF GODS AND MEN Xavier Beauvois
• THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES Mariela Besuievsky, Juan José Campanella

ANIMATED FILM

• DESPICABLE ME Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
• HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
• TOY STORY 3 Lee Unkrich

LEADING ACTOR

• JAVIER BARDEM Biutiful
• JEFF BRIDGES True Grit
• JESSE EISENBERG The Social Network
• COLIN FIRTH The King's Speech
• JAMES FRANCO 127 Hours

LEADING ACTRESS

• ANNETTE BENING The Kids Are All Right
• JULIANNE MOORE The Kids Are All Right
• NATALIE PORTMAN Black Swan
• NOOMI RAPACE The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• HAILEE STEINFELD True Grit

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• CHRISTIAN BALE The Fighter
• ANDREW GARFIELD The Social Network
• PETE POSTLETHWAITE The Town
• MARK RUFFALO The Kids Are All Right
• GEOFFREY RUSH The King's Speech

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• AMY ADAMS The Fighter
• HELENA BONHAM CARTER The King's Speech
• BARBARA HERSHEY Black Swan
• LESLEY MANVILLE Another Year
• MIRANDA RICHARDSON Made in Dagenham

ORIGINAL MUSIC

• 127 HOURS AR Rahman
• ALICE IN WONDERLAND Danny Elfman
• HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON John Powell
• INCEPTION Hans Zimmer
• THE KING'S SPEECH Alexandre Desplat

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• 127 HOURS Anthony Dod Mantle, Enrique Chediak
• BLACK SWAN Matthew Libatique
• INCEPTION Wally Pfister
• THE KING'S SPEECH Danny Cohen
• TRUE GRIT Roger Deakins

EDITING

• 127 HOURS Jon Harris
• BLACK SWAN Andrew Weisblum
• INCEPTION Lee Smith
• THE KING'S SPEECH Tariq Anwar
• THE SOCIAL NETWORK Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter

PRODUCTION DESIGN

• ALICE IN WONDERLAND Robert Stromberg, Karen O'Hara
• BLACK SWAN Thérèse DePrez, Tora Peterson
• INCEPTION Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat
• THE KING'S SPEECH Eve Stewart, Judy Farr
• TRUE GRIT Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

COSTUME DESIGN

• ALICE IN WONDERLAND Colleen Atwood
• BLACK SWAN Amy Westcott
• THE KING'S SPEECH Jenny Beavan
• MADE IN DAGENHAM Louise Stjernsward
• TRUE GRIT Mary Zophres

SOUND

• 127 HOURS Glenn Freemantle, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Steven C Laneri, Douglas Cameron
• BLACK SWAN Ken Ishii, Craig Henighan, Dominick Tavella
• INCEPTION Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A Rizzo, Ed Novick
• THE KING'S SPEECH John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Paul Hamblin
• TRUE GRIT Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, Peter F Kurland, Douglas Axtell

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

• ALICE IN WONDERLAND Nominees TBC
• BLACK SWAN Dan Schrecker
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Nicolas Ait'Hadi, Christian Manz
• INCEPTION Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Peter Bebb
• TOY STORY 3 Nominees TBC

MAKE UP& HAIR

• ALICE IN WONDERLAND Nominees TBC
• BLACK SWAN Judy Chin, Geordie Sheffer
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
• THE KING'S SPEECH Frances Hannon
• MADE IN DAGENHAM Lizzie Yianni Georgiou

SHORT ANIMATION

• THE EAGLEMAN STAG Michael Please
• MATTER FISHER David Prosser
• THURSDAY Matthias Hoegg

SHORT FILM

• CONNECT Samuel Abrahams, Beau Gordon
• LIN Piers Thompson, Simon Hessel
• RITE Michael Pearce, Ross McKenzie
• TURNING Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Alison Sterling, Kat Armour-Brown
• UNTIL THE RIVER RUNS RED Paul Wright, Poss Kondeatis

THE ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)

• GEMMA ARTERTON
• ANDREW GARFIELD
• TOM HARDY
• AARON JOHNSON
• EMMA STONE

Source

Healthy-Looking Michael Douglas Gets Standing Ovation at Globes (VIDEO)

From TV Replay: Michael Douglas, who is currently cancer free after a recent struggle with advanced stage IV throat cancer, received a very touching standing ovation when he appeared at'The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards'(Sun., 8PM on NBC). He was on hand to present the last award of the night.

When Douglas was announced, he strode confidently on stage. He still looked notably thinner than usual, but was otherwise happy and clearly humbled by the response. For nearly a full minute, the crowd of who's who in Hollywood were on their feet in praise of his strength, resilience and importance to their chosen medium.

Repeating"Thank you"over and again, Douglas tried to calm the crowd. We began to wonder if the orchestra might play him off just to keep the show in under time, even though he wasn't an award winner.

Finally, after the crowd subsided, Douglas deadpanned,"There's just got to be an easier way to get a standing ovation."

A class act all the way, no matter the reasoning behind it, we think Douglas is well-deserving of the response he got and we wish him continued good health and success.

TV Replay: Watch TV's Best Moments Daily

Article written byJason Hughes
Read the original article on TV Replay.

Source

Where Everyone Has Gone Before #26: 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'

Welcome toWhere Everyone Has Gone Before, the weekly column where I continue my film education before your very eyes by seeking out and watching all of the movies I should have seen by now. I will first judge the movie before I've watched it, based entirely on its reputation (and my potentially misguided thoughts). Then I will give the movie a fair chance and actually watch it. You will laugh at me, you may condemn me, but you will never say I didn't try!

The Film:'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' (1986), Dir. John Hughes

Starring:Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara and Jeffrey Jones.

Why I Haven't Seen It Until Now:I believe I've talked about mytumultuous relationshipwith films from the 1980s before in this column. To my unknowing eyes, nothing screams pure '80s"Arrrgh"(the actual scientific term, by the way) quite like 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.'

Pre-Viewing Assumptions:As you may have guessed by the mere existence of this column, I'm one of the younger members of the Cinematical team. I'm too young for 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' to have hit when it probably would've truly mattered -- heck, I'm too young for John Hughes to have made much of an impact on my existence. Although I'm a big 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' fan, his teen-centric films have never clicked with me in any substantial way. They feel like they're addressing a very specific generation with their own very specific problems, problems that I can't muster up too much enthusiasm for.



At the risk of sounding blasphemous, 'The Breakfast Club' rubs me the wrong way, so much so that I found myself agreeing with Principal Vernon more than sympathizing with the kids. Even when I was a teenager, I knew teens were selfish, obnoxious, whiny little jerks who only grow up when reality slaps them in their smug little faces (apologies to any teenage readers, I'm sure you're the exception that proves the rule) and while Hughes may be interested in the heart and soul of the under 18 crowd, I'm not. Maybe I just had an unnaturally happy childhood. Who knows? Maybe the problems of these upper middle class, white suburban kids feel like insignificant drops in a bucket overflowing with bigger issues.

Well, how's that for a big boatload of useless personal baggage to drop on a supposedly fun little comedy? And while I'm being grumpy and disparaging about a movie I haven't even watched yet, I'll link you over tothis pieceby the whip-smart CHUD writer Damon Houx, who argues that 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' is one of the worst films ever made and that the titular character is a full-tilt sociopath. As part of the self-imposed blackout I go into before watching a film for this column, I haven't re-read it, but it's stuck with me long enough to remember to link it here (he also apparently talks about the same subject on the first episode of Badass Digest'snew podcast, which I also haven't listened to yet for the same reasons).



So I'm mad at John Hughes because he didn't make movies for me and an article on the internet tells me that Ferris Bueller is evil, so surely it must be true. Now get off my lawn. Grrr.

Still, enough people have told me that it's one their favorite films (including a bunch of you readers in the comments under a previous column), therefore compelling me to see it so I can finally have an opinion on this thing. What do I know about the film that isn't me spewing inarticulate bile and quoting other writers? I know it's about the fourth-wall breaking Ferris, who skips school one day and takes his buddy Cameron on some sort of adventure. I know Jeffrey Jones is in it. I know there's a scene where Ben Stein says"Bueller"over and over again that's become the go-to joke for unfunny people to repeat whenever a moment of silence invades their life. I bet it has a synth soundtrack. I bet it's aged terribly. I bet it's '80s in the worst of ways.

Bah, now I'm gone and gotten myself irked. Maybe a viewing of 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' will cheer me up.



Post-Viewing Reaction:Before I began writing this sentence, I went and did something I rarely ever do during when I'm writing this column -- I re-read my"Pre-Viewing Assumption"section. I did so to make sure my reaction to 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' wasn't a product of my admittedly nasty diatribe against 'The Breakfast Club.' I needed to make sure my feelings were based purely on the film itself and not something I was prepared to say even before I had watched the film.



So I say this knowing that many of you out there love this film and hold it close to your hearts (and yes, I do feel a little bad about it): 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' is a frustrating movie with a lead character who needs a kick in the groin more desperately than any other cinematic character has needed a kick in the groin before. While I certainly won't label Ferris Bueller as a sociopath like some of the film's detractors have, he is undeniably a little sh*t. A smug, self-satisfied, manipulative little sh*t who exploits his friends and family to always get his way, usually through a combination of lies and upper-class self-entitlement.

You may see an awesome, cool teenager taking a day off and outsmarting his slimy principal with the help of his pals, but I see a narcissistic douchebag manipulating a slightly overzealous man who's just desperately trying to do his job while endangering the reputation of his best friend (who Ferris only seems to keep around because he has a car). Ferris Bueller, literally too cool for school, a privileged rich kid whose go-to action for every situation is to rub his superiority in the face of everyone he meets. To make matters worse, the film rewards his nasty behavior, allowing him to be victorious while his sister (Jennifer Grey) gets punished for being a rational human being pushed to the edge by her lying, deceitful sibling. It's easy to imagine the grown up Ferris Bueller working on Wall Street, riding a golden parachute all the way to bank while thousands of people lose their jobs, laughing snidely all the way. What a hateful character.



Are mine and John Hughes' definitions of"cool"that different? Is it a generational thing? I thought I was part of a selfish generation, but if Ferris Bueller is any indication, the 1980s ideal has my modern hipster brethren beaten by a mile.

With that said -- 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' is a pretty good movie. Seriously. It's fast and funny and Ferris is balanced by a genuinely likable supporting cast. Heck, it's aged remarkably well, too and while the fashions and soundtrack make sure you constantly know what year it is, the movie is loose and fun enough to work beyond its time.



Much of the damage done by Bueller's character is rectified by Alan Ruck's performance as Cameron, the long-suffering, highly stressed best friend. In the years since this film, Ruck has been regulated to"that guy"status, popping up as comic relief in blockbusters or playing oddballs in sitcoms, but his angsty, underplayed work here showcase that he could have been a leading man. For me, he's the most relatable of Hughes' stable of tormented teens and while Ferris is running around Chicago being an awful human being who never learns any lessons, Cameron is growing up, becoming his own person and taking charge of his life. The film seems to think Cameron would benefit from being more like Ferris -- I like to think that Cameron cut ties with Ferris, never spoke to him again and lived happily ever after.



Equally good is Jeffrey Jones as Principal Rooney, who spends the entire film trying to prove that Ferris is a liar and cheat (and of course, he's the villain of the movie, but whatever). Although personal scandals have all but ended his career in recent years, there was a time when Jones was your go-to guy for understated buffoonery. His work in films like 'Beetle Juice,' 'Amadeus' and 'Ed Wood' is superb, but this is probably his crowning role. Any actor can fall in mud, split the back of his pants and get chased by a vicious dog for laughs, but only Jones could bring true, awkward sadness to the final scene of the film, where the broken, defeated principal is forced to accept a ride on a crowded school bus.

There's the frustrating part of it all. So much of 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' is fun and charming that it's a shame that Ferris Bueller himself is so incredibly unlikeable. Every time I found myself involved in Cameron's emotional plight, every time Rooney hit another obstacle, Ferris' smug face had to appear to remind me that this was his movie. I kinda' like his movie, but I definitely hate Ferris Bueller.



Next Week's Column:Going by your votes last week, the next entry will be Stephen Soderbergh's indie classic 'Sex, Lies and Videotape.' The entry after that is undecided, but that's where you come in! Pick your choice from the selection below and vote for what I should watch next in the comments section (I'll also accept votes you send my way onTwitter).

'On the Waterfront'
'Mystery Train'
'Altered States'
'Pink Flamingos'
'La Dolce Vita'
'High Plains Drifter'/'Pale Rider'/'The Outlaw Josey Wales' (Triple Feature)
'Return to Oz'

Previous Entries:

'Death Wish'
'Cannibal Holocaust'
'The 39 Steps'
'Bicycle Thieves'
'Moulin Rouge'
'The Sound of Music'
'Rebel Without a Cause'
'A Matter of Life and Death'
'Julia'
'Bride of Frankenstein'
'The Monster Squad'
'Solaris (2002)'
'Solaris (1972)'
'Soylent Green'
'Silent Running'
'Colossus: The Forbin Project'
'Cocoon'
'Enemy Mine'
'A Boy and His Dog'
'The Thing From Another World'
'Forbidden Planet'
'Logan's Run'
'Starman'
'Strange Days'
'Tron'

Source

Critics' Choice Awards Winners 2011: 'The Fighter' Takes Early Lead

The movie awards season officially moved into high gear Friday night with the 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards, put on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing about 250 television, radio and online critics.

With the first hour of the show now past, here's a rundown on some of the winners:

'The Fighter,'director David O. Russell's stirring ring drama, has already nabbed two awards: Best Acting Ensemble and Best Supporting Actor forChristian Bale.

Hailee Steinfeldwon the nod for Best Young Actor/Actress for her role in the Coen Bros.' 'True Grit.'

In the feature film categories,'Inception,'the over-the-edge sci-fi thriller directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, won for Best Action Movie. Best Animated Feature went to Disney's'Toy Story 3'and'Easy A'nabbed Best Comedy.'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'won for Best Foreign language Film and'Waiting for"Superman"'took Best Documentary.

In the music categories, 'If I Rise' from '127 Hours' won for Best Song and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross shared composer nods for 'The Social Network.'

On TV, 'The Pacific' took Best Made for Television feature.

The Critics' Choice Movie Awards seem to be a good predictor of the Academy Award nominations. Last year, all four major acting category winners at the Academy Awards in 2010 were Critics' winners in the same categories -- and the Critics chose"The Hurt Locker"for Best Picture and Kathryn Bigelow as Best Director.

This is the fourth year in a row that VH1 broadcast the show live (9PM ET) from the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, and the first year the show was broadcast internationally.

Stay tuned as we update the winners.:

Source

Kathryn Bigelow Gets Backing for Black Ops Thriller

It's been almost a year'The Hurt Locker'directorKathryn Bigelowand writerMark Boalwon Oscars for Best Director and Best Screenplay, respectively (and the film took home Best Picture Oscar as well). Until now it was assumed that the pair's next project was 'Triple Frontier,' a big-budget Paramount action-adventure story set in the border zone between Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

Instead, that project has been pushed to the fall and Bigelow and Boal are now working on a small-scale film based on the true story of a U.S. military black ops mission in the Middle East (there has been some Internet buzz that the film revolves around the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, but that has not been verified).

Production on the $10 million budgeted film will begin early summer, with Boal writing and Bigelow directing. Casting should start in the next few weeks. And although no distributor has been lined up for the film, there's no problem with money for the duo: Annapurna Pictures, the Los Angeles-based firm headed up by Megan Ellison, daughter of Oracle Corp. software billionaire Larry Ellison, is fully funding the project, according to a report inVariety.

"This is an exciting, involving story in the tradition of the best film thrillers,"Ellison told Variety."That it is fact-based makes it all the more relevant and fascinating for a worldwide audience."

Source

'The Green Hornet' Review: Odd, Ambitious and Pretty Great in 3D

Superhero movies are going through some interesting, if difficult, transitions right now. Following the big explosion of comic book adaptations in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the artistic pretense of the genre was no longer a laughing matter, but neither was its commercial prospects; audiences are in the incipient stages of experiencing franchise reboots, such as with the forthcoming 'Spider-Man' films, and it remains to be seen whether or not second-tier characters and series will succeed as easily as their predecessors. Meanwhile, material inspired by alternative sources or created concurrently with its printed-page iteration, such as 'Kick-Ass' and 'Scott Pilgrim,' has met with mixed success at best. All of which is why 'The Green Hornet' may inadvertently be a litmus test as the first major superhero adaptation of this new era.

As written bySeth Rogenand Evan Goldberg and directed byMichel Gondry, the film's artistic and commercial bona fides are more than well-covered, at least in terms of attracting some general interest of mainstream moviegoers and fans of less conventional fare. But it's because of this scattershot combination of elements that 'The Green Hornet' is on admirable (if decidedly shakier) ground, since it creates a superhero origin story that seems both too ambitious and uneven to satisfy fully, either as four-square genre material or as a straightforward crowd-pleaser.

Rogen plays Britt Reid, a spoiled and irresponsible twenty-something who inherits an independent Los Angeles newspaper after his father James (Tom Wilkinson) dies under mysterious circumstances. Unprepared for the responsibilities of the job, he commiserates with one of his father's mechanics, the preternaturally gifted Kato (Jay Chou); but when they're interrupted by real criminals while trying to deface a statue erected in his father's honor, the duo decides to launch new careers for themselves as superheroes. Branding his alter ego"The Green Hornet,"Reid uses the newspaper to establish himself as a criminal, hoping to protect his real identity from the authorities; but when an actual crime boss named Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) believes that the Hornet is horning in on his territory, Reid and Kato find themselves under attack from both crooks and the authorities.

Given the fact that the vast majority of viewers watching this movie know little or nothing about the original 'Green Hornet' radio serials (much less the TV show that co-starred Bruce Lee), Rogen and Goldberg do a terrific job assembling and streamlining a mythology that mostly makes sense and, God willing, sets up the characters for additional installments. Indeed, it's actually all of the pre-Green Hornet material in the story that feels the most superfluous, and the film as a whole seems to find its footing with increasing confidence as it rushes towards a suitably epic finale. The fight scenes are directed with appropriate zeal and inventiveness by Gondry, who manages to provide a visual landscape that's glossily conventional and then uniquely imaginative, depending on the demands of the action (or lack thereof).

That said, the screenwriters' fealty to a few of the hallmarks of the source material– in particular, the inclusion ofCameron Diazas Lenore, who as a character and actress sticks out like a sore thumb– unfortunately lets the film lag too often in its rhythms. For example, an early scene reveals that Britt starts each morning with a gorgeously-landscaped cup of coffee, but while its absence later provide an introduction to Kato, the scene itself goes on about twice as long as it needs to. Similarly, a scuffle between the two of them later in the film goes on about twice as long as it should, and an ongoing joke about Britt's oblivious pursuit of a clearly disinterested Lenore just becomes distracting after a while, not to mention the fact that it further compromises our sympathy for Rogen's character.

And yet Mr. Rogen continues to mature as an actor and provides a suitably formidable leading man for a film of this size and scope (his biggest thus far), but he also wrote for himself a somewhat thankless role as a self-aggrandizing, over-privileged, and frequently obnoxious character who doesn't easily engender the audience's affection. This seems particularly glaring given the fact that he appears on screen opposite Chou's Kato, a smart, resourceful and imminently likable character who quite rightly deserves the lion's share of the credit for their success as superheroes. But the appeal of Rogen is repeatedly tested in the film– even if he means for it to be– and it may mark the difference between viewers that enjoy the film and those that feel like it's a celebration of personalities and lifestyles that are themselves unappealing or unrelatable.

Overall the film strikes a very successful balance between Rogen's sort of irreverent, off-the-cuff humor and Gondry's limitless, carefully-planned creativity, generating set pieces that are fun and memorable as well as interstitial character-based scenes that at least hint at deeper ideas. (And it should be noted that the 3D in the film is by far the best"post-conversion"transfer yet released, and it is in all cases the preferable way in which to watch 'The Green Hornet.') But without a clear or well-defined moral through-line to motivate Britt and Kato– which the film unfortunately does not have– the experience is ultimately fun but also a little bit empty.

The cast is great, the action scenes are very cool, and many of the ideas congeal unexpectedly well, but there's nothing concrete thematically to tie all of it together, at least in the way that Spider-Man or the X-Men or even Batman seem to have a more specific and profound motivation to disguise themselves and fight crime. In any case, 'The Green Hornet' gets Rogen's career as a superhero off to a good start, and proves that Gondry can make a movie that really synthesizes his handmade style with something polished enough to succeed in the mainstream.

Source

Scenes We Love: 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'

Many fans of'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'(2004) love itfiercely; they've watched it repeatedly, committing certain scenes to memory (ha!) and getting emotionally involved every time. It's that kind of movie.

This was directorMichel Gondry's second collab with writerCharlie Kaufman, the first being'Human Nature'(2001), an uneven, intriguingly odd comedy. (Prior to that, he was known mainly for wonderfully innovative music videos.) Pre-'Eternal Sunshine,' Kaufman had already scored bigtime with screenplays for 'Being John Malkovich,' 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind' and 'Adaptation.' An inspired, multi-layered melding of dark, whimsical sci-fi and equally fantastical visuals, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' is the most haunting, romantic film to come from either filmmaker.

With'The Green Hornet'-- Gondry's first foray into big-budget superhero action -- opening Friday, we have the perfect excuse to look back at what is arguably his best film to date.

The story: Polar opposites Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) -- she's impulsive and outspoken; he's cautious and withdrawn -- meet, fall in love, bicker and break up, very much like actual people (as opposed to movie people). Carrey and Winslet are perfect in their roles; his performance is unexpectedly low-key and affecting, hers a precise portrayal of a familiar type of brash yet vulnerable young woman. They're a realistically messy couple.

We first see Joel and Clem meet on the railroad en route home from Montauk, where they have individually and inexplicably wound up on a winter day. Awkwardly, they begin a relationship. We then jump to the aftermath of their break-up, when a distraught Joel finds out that Clementine has erased him via a company called Lacuna. For a fee, Lacuna can destroy all memories of a particular person -- and of the erasure itself -- so that the aggrieved party can get on with life.

Joel decides to do the same and meets with Lacuna head Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), who tells his concerned client,"Technically what we're doingisbrain damage ... but on par with a heavy night of drinking,"nothing he'll miss.

During the procedure, administered by technicians Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and the easily distracted Patrick (Elijah Wood), Joel has a change of heart. While unconscious, he re-lives memories of Clem as they're being erased and realizes he doesn't want to forget her. Fighting to wake up, he's simultaneouslyinhis memories and aware of undergoing the procedure; how Gondry shows this -- a shadowy world in which disembodied voices are heard and things keep disappearing -- is surreal and fascinatingly complex. Similarly, the movie's timeline jumps all over the place, like much of what's occurring in its protagonist's head.

Still unconscious, Joel tries to hold on to Clementine by escaping -- literally running away from his memories as they're being destroyed; finally she suggests that he"hide"her someplace she doesn't belong, and he thinks back to childhood:

Baby Joel
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindat MOVIECLIPS.com

As Joel resists the procedure, his connection with Lacuna's equipment keeps failing, helped in part by Stan, who has gotten high with the company's receptionist Mary (Kirsten Dunst). Howard's called in to fix the problem. Meanwhile, real-time Clem is having some sort of breakdown ("I feel like I'm disappearing"), and can't be comforted by her new beau Patrick -- who fell for her while erasinghermemories. She of course remembers none of that.

Back in Joel's head, everything's been erased except the last memory of Clem, the day they first met. During this scene, at a deserted Montauk beach house, they re-live their conversation from that dayandcomment on it, knowing that this will be the last time they ever see each other. Joel seems resigned, but the ever-resourceful Clem suggests changing the memory:

Meet Me in Montauk
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindat MOVIECLIPS.com

It's a beautiful, melancholy scene, both for the realistic emotions being expressed and the evocative visuals–- the wind, the nighttime beach, the house collapsing around them.

Later, Joel and Clem find out about their respective procedures, due to a twist concerning Mary's past. Though upset and confused -- and as discordant as ever -- they come to terms with it, and the movie ends on a hopeful note.

Gondry would go on to write and direct the wonderfully fanciful 'Science of Sleep' and silly but fun 'Be Kind Rewind,' in addition to helming the fantastic 'Block Party' doc; and Kaufman would later write and direct the poignant, challenging 'Synecdoche, New York.' 'Eternal Sunshine,' however, remains unmatched, a perfect marriage of style and substance.

Source

Top Film Events of the Week: Edgar Wright, 'Wild at Heart'& 'Thrashin''

In just a matter of a few weeks film fans will be neck-deep in Sundance coverage, and after that a variety of festivals across the country will kick off, showcasing many works that will inevitably find their way into multiplexes the world over. Until then, however, programmers at independent and chain theaters across the country are continuing to schedule screenings of great repertory titles and host showings of films that haven't been on screen in decades. And whileEdgar Wright'svery own forthcoming festival,The Wright Stuff II, launches this week at Los Angeles' New Beverly Cinema with a triple feature of his three films 'Shaun of the Dead,' 'Hot Fuzz' and 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,' there are thankfully a variety of terrific options left for folks who don't live in Los Angeles or weren't able to get tickets before those screenings sold out.

But before we get to the stuff we think you should see elsewhere in the country, we would like to remind you to please leave comments and send in emails with any suggestions you may have for events, screenings, or other opportunities film fans may have to share with others in their celebration of the medium. Also, when and if you attend any of the events listed below, please let us know about your experiences, and let the organizers know where you found out about it!

Austin

OnJanuary 16, head to the Alamo Ritz for a screening of the film that supposedly almost made actor Josh Brolin want to give up acting: the skateboarding movie'Thrashin'.'Presented by Zzang!!, the screening starts at 10:45 PM, but check out theAlamo Ritz websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

Chicago

OnJanuary 14, check out a screening of one of Hollywood's most notorious flops,'Ishtar.'The film was set to debut on Blu-ray and DVD during the first week of January, but was delayed at the last minute, so for the time being, this may be your only opportunity to see the film, since it was never before released on DVD. 'Ishtar' is showing at Ida Noyes Hall at the Max Palevsky Cinema, so check out theEventful websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

Dallas

On Wednesday,January 12,head over to Dallas' Texas Theatre for a screening of the original 1960'Little Shop of Horrors.'The screening starts at 8:00 PM, but check out theTexas Theatre websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

Los Angeles

If you were unable to snag tickets toEdgar Wright's opening night(s) triple feature of his own films, try to make it to the first of his series of terrific double features onJanuary 16and17,'Brazil'and'Delicatessen.'Not only will Wright be there to host the screening, but he enlisted fellow 'Brazil' fan Richard Kelly to help introduce the Terry Gilliam film. Check out theNew Beverly websitefor a full schedule of the Wright Stuff II screenings, additional screening details and ticket information.

Meanwhile, onJanuary 14,iconic character actor Tom Noonan will host a screening of his own directorial effort,'What Happened Was...'at Los Angeles' Cinemfamily. The evening begins at 7:30 PM, but check out theCinefamily websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

If you haven't gotten enough of"that guys"by the 14th, head back to the Cinefamily onJanuary 15for a screening of two ofBruce Dern's films,'The King of Marvin Gardens'and'Tattoo.'The evening begins at 7:00 PM and Dern will be in attendance to host the double feature, but check out theCinefamily websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

If you're not completely wiped out from all of the adult-style action in the rest of the films on our list, visit the Aero Theatre at 4:00 PM on Sunday,January 16for a screening of the classic children's films'The Red Balloon'and'The White Mane.'Check out theAero Theatre websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

New York

On three consecutive nights,January 14, 15and16, visit Sunshine Cinema for midnight screenings of Steven Spielberg's classic adventure film'Raiders of the Lost Ark.'The screenings offer a rare opportunity to see the film on the big screen, which may account for the theater's decision to show it on three nights instead of their usual two, but check out theSunshine Cinema websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

San Francisco

The Castro Theatre is playing host to a series of Alfred Hitchcock films over the next week, but on Thursday, January 13, check out a double feature of two of the filmmaker's last films,'Frenzy'and'Family Plot.'Check out theCastro Theatre websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

Seattle

Also onJanuary 14and15, check out one ofDavid Lynch's greatest artistic achievements,'Wild at Heart,'at midnight at the Egyptian Theatre in Seattle. The website listing says"uncut,"which I think means that audiences will get to see somebody's head blow off in graphic detail, but check out theEgyptian Theatre websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

Washington, DC

Peter Bogdanovich fans unite! At midnight onJanuary 14and15, head to Washington, D.C.'s IFC Center for screenings of the director's acclaimed'Paper Moon.'Check out theIFC Center websitefor additional screening details and ticket information.

Source