Cinema

пятница, 1 апреля 2011 г.

Bill Murray Finally Signs On to 'Ghostbusters 3' ... and 'Ghostbusters 4'

Who ya gonna call? The answer is"all of your friends,"because the Ghostbusters are putting the proton packs back on for a new case.

In an exclusive interview with franchise directorIvan Reitman, sources say thatBill Murrayhas finally agreed to reprise the character of Dr. Peter Venkman and team up withDan Aykroyd,Ernie HudsonandHarold Ramisfor not just one, buttwo'Ghostbusters' adventures. They are set to be filmed concurrently and released back-to-back for Christmas 2012 and Christmas 2013.

The development of'Ghostbusters 3'has been brewing for years, but news about the project really started to heat up in the past 12 months. For quite some time, the delay in getting the movie made has been Murray, who was vocal in his displeasure with the previous draft of the screenplay written byGene StupnitskyandLee Eisenberg. But back in the fall,Dan Aykroyd told Vanity Fairthat he had taken over scripting, and then last month, while promoting'No Strings Attached,'Reitmanrevealed that Murray had seen the newest draft, and going forward with a new 'Ghostbusters' installment would come down to his approval.

"Bill loves these characters as much as we all do, and it was simply a matter of nailing the timing,"Reitman explained.

As was previously speculated, the plot of 'Ghostbusters 3' and '4' will focus on Venkman, Egon and Ray Stantz training a new generation of Ghostbusters. If fans respond positively to the young cadets, Sony also has plans to move the series forward with their own movie in the future.

Reitman didn't reveal much in the way of plot, but added,"Bill had a lot of say in how Venkman would return to the screen. He's really excited to take the character in a new direction."Given Murray's previous statements that he would like to play the smart-mouthed doctor, coupled with the news that herecently signed on to play FDR in a biopic, the early speculation is that Venkman will appear only in a supporting role --and as a ghost.

No word yet on who will play the young Ghostbusters, but given the release date, Sony will have to fast-track production by the summer, meaning we should hear some big casting updates soon. In the past months, Aykroyd and Reitman have talked up Anna Faris, Eliza Dushku and Ashton Kutcher as taking up the Ghostbusters mantle.

When asked for comment, Murray responded,"I came, I saw, I kicked this sequel's ass."

For more comments from Reitman,check out the full story HERE.

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четверг, 31 марта 2011 г.

Criterion Corner #6: The 10 Best Criterion Covers

Criterion Corner is a Cinematical column dedicated to the wonderful world of the Criterion Collection, running twice at the end of each month -- once for new reviews and once for Criterion commentary.

I couldn't contrive a way to effectively combine the Criterion Collection with my rabid contempt for all things Zack Snyder. Believe me, I tried. With no other topical points of interest, I realized that it's a perfect time for me to go on the record about my favorite Criterion cover art.

Not to sound dramatic, but so far as difficult decisions go, this process is going to make 'Sophie's Choice' look like 'Executive Decision.' You see, Criterion covers are why we're all here in the first place (whether I mean"we"as readers of Cinematical or"we"as a civilization is up to you). It was my abiding love for these sublime and deeply considered examples of mass-produced graphic design that spawned this column.

Criterion Corner is a direct extension ofa piece I published last Augustabout the glorious community of fake Criterion covers, in which I wrote that"Criterion's {artwork} can make even the most digitally-oriented among us once again fetishize physical media... most DVDs and Blu-rays are packaged to be purchased, Criterion's are packaged to be treasured."It's the immaculately curated and restored roster of films that's made Criterion so instrumental to my relationship with cinema, but it's the art with which those films have been adorned that has so maniacally spurred me to collect them all.

Gender norms are as original as a new Zack Snyder movie (Got him! How will he ever recover from such a blow!), but in my family there's one strict divide: The men collect things, and the women begrudgingly tolerate that the men collect things. For my older brother it's model airplanes, for our father it's propaganda posters from China's Cultural Revolution (for every baby picture my parents have hanging in their house, there are approximately 10 of Mao Zedong) and for me, it's Criterion discs.

It started one day in the winter of 2000 with a blind Amazon purchase of Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai,' and now you have to pass through a veritable gauntlet of Criterion releases in order to reach my bedroom. In the process of collecting a number of the greatest films ever made, my apartment has inadvertently become some kind of cinephilic nerd Louvre. (It's a Manhattan apartment, so even at 71 Anna Karina could probably sprint from end to end and beat her old record.)

In some cases the illustrations are so beautiful that the discs themselves feel like little more than the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks. However, while almost all of Criterion's covers are easy on the eye (almostall), the best of them also speak to their respective films. The illustrations actually deepen and clarify the movie masterpieces they represent. The greatest designs not only allow Criterion collectors to better display their cinematic classics, but to better understand them as well.

Having said that, it's with a heavy heart that I present to you what I consider to be the 10 best Criterion covers. A wise man wouldn't rank them, but a fanboy wouldn't dream of leaving his opinion that vague, so let's get to it:

10.) 'Ran'
Designed by:Lucien S.Y. Yang

The next time you pull the word"Chaos"during a game of Pictionary, Lucien S.Y. Yang's cover design for Akira Kurosawa's 'Ran' is what you should draw. No one will have any idea what the hell you're sketching, but at least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your friends are uncultured rubes, and at the end of the day that's what Pictionary is all about.

Kurosawa's masterful adaptation of Shakespeare's 'King Lear' was among the auteur's most visually resplendent work, despite the fact that he was nearly blind during its production, and Yang's cover immediately recalls the film's melodramatic vibrancy. 'Ran' is the nepotistic nightmare of an aging ruler who abdicates his domain to his three sons with gushingly bloody results, and Yang's trio of sloppy color splotches is a beautifully simple distillation of that havoc. It's a design both austere and wild, the tragedy it represents equalled only by the fact that this disc went out-of-print soon after its initial release.

9.)'Close-up'
Designed by: Eric Skillman

Abbas Kiarostami's 'Close-up' might be my very favorite film, but upon first blush I was severely disappointed with Eric Skillman's verdant and pastoral design. Green is a fitting color with which to adorn any Iranian film that champions artistic expression, but 'Close-up' is not an especially"pretty"film, and I suppose I'd hoped for Criterion to avoid relying upon an image from the movie.

Of course, few films reward critical attention quite like 'Close-up,' and Skillman's illustration soon revealed its profound efficacy to work in much the same way. 'Close-up' is as much about the tools of cinema as it is their effects, and Skillman's reliance upon large process dots likewise calls attention to the artifice of his image (and that image crystalizes the film's moving emotional core). The design resolves into one of Criterion's most beautiful, achieving in depth what it lacks in immediacy. Check outSkillman's blog postabout how this cover came into being.

8.)'Last Year at Marienbad'
Designed by: Rodrigo Corral Design / Ben Wiseman

Trying to find a static image that contains a film as slippery and transient as Alain Resnais' 'Last Year at Marienbad' would be like isolating every word of 'Gravity's Rainbow' in the hopes that one of them defined its moral. Resnais' incorrigible film -- about a couple who may or may not have once met before in the surreal landscape of a French estate -- continues to confound audiences some fifty years after its debut, enduring as one of the cinema's most sly riddles.

Rather than throwing up their hands and just offering a screen-grab as a testament to the film's inscrutability, Ben Wiseman and the folks at Rodrigo Corral Design opted to stretch the elliptical vibe even further. The white on white nails the film's dreamy tone -- a caution to anyone looking for answers -- while its raised text makes tangible the idea that 'Last Year at Marienbad' is designed to be felt rather than solved.

7.)'In the Realm of the Senses'
Designed by: Neil Kellerhouse

For a film that includes an unsimulated scene wherein someone sticks a hardboiled egg up her ladybits before feeding it to her partner, Nagisa Oshima's infamous erotic vortex 'In the Realm of the Senses' is actually rather beautiful. The cinematography is livid and painterly, the sexual violence poetic even at its most depraved (and that's pretty depraved).

By recognizing the grace with which Oshima told this story, designer Neil Kellerhouse rescued Criterion's release from the film's lurid reputation.The image of Eiko Matsuda's ecstatically asphyxiating face confronts the taboo element of Oshima's telling, but the delicate lines of text and those wonderful wisps of white breath call vital attention to the human sensitivity with which 'In the Realm of the Senses' so steadily toes the line between explicitness and pornography. This beautiful cover also makes the film that much easier to lend to unsuspecting friends.

6.) 'Viridiana'
Designed by: Eric Skillman

I always found the idea of Luis Bunuel working in black& white to be somewhat perverse, as if he were bluntly mocking the didactism of his characters and any audience that might not appreciate their outstanding hypocrisy. Eric Skillman's decision to present 'Viridiana' sans-color channels the film's social subterfuge, the deceptive chastity of his serene cover art a sly nod to those in on the joke.

The image is both simple and mordantly incomplete, consisting only of Silvia Pinal's virginal profile, her pallid features and the white text that curls above her face providing a stark contrast to the void around them. But it's what Skillman omits -- namely, the rest of Viridiana's body -- that makes this cover so effective, as those familiar with the film will recognize the depravity at work.

5.)'Army of Shadows'
Designed by: Michael Boland

The evocative image at the center of Michael Boland's 'Army of Shadows' cover succinctly sums up everything you need to know about Jean-Pierre Melville's espionage masterpiece, but it's that pervasive midnight blue backdrop which most immediately evokes the stiflingly tense existence of the film's resistance fighters. That same hue is draped over Melville's long-lost gem from start to finish, effectively covering everything in a soft half darkness from which there's no escape.

'Army of Shadows' is wall-to-wall atmosphere from which Melville carves a fully realized world and a tenuous plot. Lino Ventura leads a clandestine band of freedom fighters through the darkest corners of WWII. The enemy is a vague and ubiquitous threat, and the swastika Boland buries at the bottom of this almost imperceptibly two-tone image cogently speaks to the unclear lines Ventura and his cohorts must navigate between friend and foe.

4.)'Brand Upon the Brain!'
Designed by: Jason Hardy

Guy Maddin is not the kind of guy who can be approximated. Hiring someone else to convey the singularly eccentric and grainy fantasia of a Guy Maddin film would be like asking someone to map a distant land of which they've only heard campfire stories and scattered transmissions. So poor Jason Hardy, who was given the unenviable task of designing the company's edition of Guy Maddin's most Guy Maddin film.

Wisely, Hardy's artwork adopts the structure from the film, plopping the shadow of young"Guy Maddin"in the center (at the heart of his father's monolithic lighthouse), and surrounding him with the raving words that tether the filmmaker to his youth ("Good for dippin!"). I guess it's always a bit of a gamble to write"Strange holes!"on the front of a DVD and hope for mass appeal, but the water -- fake and rising -- threatens to wash it all away, soothing the art's madness while evincing its tension.Click for a closer look.

3.)'Modern Times'
Designed by: Sam Smith

So if 'House' was Sam Smith's first date with Criterion, 'Modern Times' is when he moved in, started sleeping over on work nights and commandeered a drawer for his underwear. Criterion has announced plans to distribute a number of Charlie Chaplin classics over the next year or two ('The Great Dictator' has already been revealed as a May release), and by commissioning Smith to handle 'Modern Times' they were effectively asking the newcomer to set the tone for a number of huge future releases. Needless to say, Smith didn't let them down.

Smith's design is direct yet deceptively simple, starting with the iconic image of Chaplin's Little Tramp character, but audaciously screwing with it in a way most artists wouldn't dare. Chaplin's wonky eyes afford this transitional masterpiece a relevance that falls somewhere between kitsch and classicism, but the whole thing retains the quiet authority of a legendary work.Smith's account of his processlays out his process far better than I ever could.

2.)'Seven Samurai'
Designed by: Neil Kellerhouse

Some movies need to be sold, while others just need to be presented. 'Seven Samurai' is a film that speaks for itself. Kurosawa's treasured jidaigeki is one of the Criterion Collection's signature titles, and it offers so many instantly recognizable moments that it's no wonder Criterion decided to go with a new cover design when they re-released the flick a few years back (the original artwas a respectful yet obvious screengrab of the titular ronin).

Neil Kellerhouse was confronted with an embarrassment of riches when hired to approach Kurosawa's seminal work from a fresh angle, and he chose to trust in the film's reputation and eschew the famous faces of its leading men. The cover is entirely comprised of the flag under which the masterless samurai unite to fight off the bandit horde, the gravitas of the uncomplicated design emphasizing the film's indisputable status as a stone-cold classic.

1.)'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters'
Designed by: Neil Kellerhouse

And much to my surprise, Neil Kellerhouse -- a name with which I was unfamiliar before writing this piece -- emerges as my MVP of Criterion cover art. Judging by this list it would seem that my tastes trend towards designs of a spare and muted nature, but Kellerhouse's work on 'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters' is as busy as anything Criterion has ever commissioned, and my favorite by a margin wider than director Paul Schrader's mustache.

Schrader's unconventional biopic of iconic Japanese personality Yukio Mishima uses its singularly flamboyant subject as a pretense for exploring the fluid dynamic between art and life. Displaying a complex understanding of Schrader's film, Kellerhouse's dense and garish cover design distills all of Mishima's hysterical dimensions into a single image that appropriately insists upon its own beauty above all else. The colors are a logical extension of Mishima's wardrobe, the rays of his beloved rising sun skewered by the nationalist's unique brand of patriotism. And there's Mishima in the middle, everyone and no one all at once, his entire life finally scrunched into a commodified work of art that fits in the palm of your hand.

True story: I'm writing this up in an unassuming Manhattan cafe, my fingers trying to keep up with my raving thoughts on the greatest film Paul Schrader ever had anything to do with (you heard me), when in walks... Paul Schrader. Or at least a guy who I am 98% sure was Paul Schrader.I tweeted a pictureand everything. I was under the impression that he was off in Bombay doing whatever it is that Paul Schrader does with his time, but I guess not. So, yeah, that was the strangest thing that's ever happened to me.

I assume that most of you precisely agree with both the selection and ordering of this list, but the one or two of you who have a different take on the matter should feel free to express yourselves in the comments below.

NEWS& LINKS:

-A filmmaker took a swipe at Criterion, and I swiped back, not as a stooge or an apologist, but as someone who knows his enemies (or rather, knows who his enemies are not).

- Criterion announced a rich and eclectic slate of June releases. I was too busy getting involved inall sorts of harried mischief at SXSWto write them up, but the erudite gentlemen over atCriterion Cast have got you covered.

- Whit Stillman has anew movie on the way(hooray?) and ison Twitter(but not really).

- Archives:
-Criterion Corner #1: It's Cheaper Than Film School
-Criterion Corner #2: Great Movies Are Chosen, Not Made
-Criterion Corner #3: The Trouble With Women
-Criterion Corner #4: Valentine's Day the Criterion Way
-Criterion Corner #5: 10 Animated Films Criterion Should Covet

Follow@CriterionCorner& visit theCriterion Corner Tumblrfor daily updates, or suffer for your insolence.

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среда, 30 марта 2011 г.

Early Edition: Uni 'Unbroken' With Laura Hillenbrand; Trio Joins 'Dead Circus'; More

Universal is on a roll withLaura Hillenbrand.Her latest book,'Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,' which has been on The New York Times bestseller list for 18 weeks, will be made into a Uni feature withRichard LaGraveneseset to adapt andFrancis Lawrenceattached to direct. And everyone should be happy with this arrangement. Uni's previous adaptation of a Hillenbrand work -- 'Seabiscuit' -- was a big hit for the studio and director Gary Ross. LaGravenese has worked once before with Lawrence -- he adapted Sara Gruen's 'Water for Elephants,' which Lawrence directed for Fox 2000 and which is scheduled for an April 22 release (Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz star). 'Unbroken' is the true story of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic track prodigy who endured unimaginable hardship as a WWII POW at the hands of Japanese prison guards. {Deadline}

James Marsden, Michael C. Halland Oscar-winnerMelissa Leoare attached to star in'The Dead Circus,'an offbeat drama revolving around the death of singer Bobby Fuller, whose Bobby Fuller Four had a hit with 'I Fought the Law' in 1965. After the single climbed the pop charts, the 23-year-old Fuller was found dead in an automobile parked outside his Hollywood apartment, a 1/3-full gas can by his side. His death was ruled a suicide, but some pundits have a more conspiratorial take on the death; one of his bandmates thought Charles Manson had something to do with it, while others pointed to the Mafia. 'The Dead Circus,' by John Kaye, who wrote the film's script with Adam Davenport, weaves fact and fiction into a spculative thriller. Davenport will make his directing debut with the film. {Deadline}

Anything can be turned into a major film if Hollywood has a mind to. To wit: DreamWorks has made a deal for an untitled pitch based on a Dec. 10 article in The New York Times about the last gasp of the last lab that processed Kodachrome just before Kodak abandoned the process and gave in to digital cameras; Kodachrome fans flocked to the Kansas lab for the"last rites."The film will turn on a father-son road trip to reach the lab and process photos before the images are lost forever. The project is beng put together as a potential directing vehicle for helmerShawn Levy.{Deadline}

James Spader, Carla Gugino, Ryan Phillippe, Treat WilliamsandKim Coateshave joined the cast of'By Virtue Fall,'about a pair of ATF agents who end up enemies after one frames the other for a crime. Eric Bana is already attached to play one of the two leads, with Jeremy Renner a potential candidate for the other lead. The film will be helmed by screenwriter and first-time director Sheldon Turner, who also co-wrote the Oscar-nominated 'Up in the Air' screenplay. {The Hollywood Reporter}

Those'Madagascar'penguins are getting a film of their own. 'Megamind' writers Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons have been tapped by DreamWorks to handle the screenwriting chores for the film, which will feature the four paramilitary avians from Antarctica. The penquins' popularity has skyrocketed since the first 'Madagascar,' and they have starred in DVD shorts and a Nickelodeon TV series. Although no release date has been set for the penguins film, it will most likely be after the third installment of the 'Madagascar' franchise, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2012. {THR}

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понедельник, 28 марта 2011 г.

'Wimpy Kid' Outslugs 'Sucker Punch': Box Office Report March 25-27

He's not that wimpy.

Kiddie sequel'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules'outslugged action fantasy'Sucker Punch'to rule the box office this weekend. The film opened with an estimated $24.4 million, even better than the $22.1 million debut of the first 'Wimpy Kid' movie a year ago, while 'Sucker Punch,' based on an original idea by comic-book-loving directorZack Snyder, failed to crack $20 million.

'Wimpy Kid 2' did even better than the $20 to $22 million experts had predicted. The original 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' was a surprise hit with both critics and families, and while the sequel didn't get as goodreviews, fans of the first were eager to see the follow-up. The middle-school comedy had the widest release (3,167 screens) of any new movie this week and was playing in more theaters than any movie except'Rango,'its only real competition for family audiences.

Many pundits had expected 'Sucker Punch' to win the weekend with a take of around $22 to $24 million. Thegirl-gang sagawon Friday night with an estimated $8.1 million, but its take was front-loaded, with most of the young-male audience who wanted to see it doing so on opening night. As a result, it fell behind 'Wimpy Kid' to debut in second place with an estimated $19.0 million. Not helping was the film's lack of star power, its hard-to-explain premise, and the fact that director Snyder, even after '300' and 'Watchmen,' still isn't a big enough brand name to open a movie on his own. 'Sucker Punch' could end up the sort of movie, like last year's 'Kick-Ass' and 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,' that brings in the die-hard fanboys but no one else.

A more conventional sci-fi tale, 'Limitless,'was third with an estimated $15.2 million. After topping the chart when it premiered last week, theBradley Coopermovie held up very well, losing just 19 percent of last week's business. Its 10-day total is $41.3 million.

Holding on to fourth place, 'The Lincoln Lawyer'enjoyed the smallest drop of any wide-release movie this week, just 17 percent, down to an estimated $11.0 million. Like 'Limitless,' thelegal thrillercontinued to play well to adult drama moviegoers. Over two weekends, it's earned $29.0 million.

In its fourth week, cartoon western 'Rango' is still going great guns. The Johnny Depp movie earned an estimated $9.8 million this weekend (down a modest 35 percent from a week ago), good for fifth place. It also became the first 2011 release to cross $100 million (its take stands at $106.4 million).

Overall, 2011's box office is down almost 20 percent from the first three months of 2010. Of course, those three months were dominated by 'Avatar' and 'Alice in Wonderland,' two unusually huge hits, the likes of which we have yet to see this year.

'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules' - Trailer No. 1

The full top 10:
1.'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules,'$24.4 million (3,167 screens),new release
2.'Sucker Punch,'$19.0 million (3,033),new release
3. 'Limitless,'$15.2 million (2,805), $29.0 million total
4. 'The Lincoln Lawyer,'$11.0 million (2,707), $29.0 million
5.'Rango,'$9.8 million (3,645), $106.4 million
6.'Battle: Los Angeles,'$7.6 million (3,118), $72.6 million
7.'Paul,'$7.5 million (2,806), $24.6 million
8.'Red Riding Hood,'$4.3 million (2,715), $32.5 million
9.'The Adjustment Bureau,'$4.2 million (2,282), $54.9 million
10.'Mars Needs Moms,'$2.2 million (2,170), $19.2 million

Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

Source

воскресенье, 27 марта 2011 г.

The Basics: 'Used Cars' and Satisfying Endings

Drew McWeeny of HitFix contributed a series of columns about the essential titles that any film fan ought to be familiar with, and I used to respond with my own thoughts in a timely manner. However, I've been working on this entry ofThe Basicssince August of 2010, so it's fair to say that it will be my last post as part of the series... in addition to serving as my last post as part of the Cinematical staff.

I imagine that you have some questions.

If you're wondering what"The Basics"is, I implore you to go back and read that preface again, if not the four posts preceding this one. If you're wondering where"The Basics"went, well, it went on my back burner for far too long. If you're wondering where"The Basics"is going, keep your eyes onDrew's own cornerof the internet, as he intends to bring the series back, and soon.

In the meantime, I recommend checking out Jacob Hall's like-minded column here,"Where Everyone Has Gone Before."This whippersnapper's been writing circles around me for a while now, and I encourage you all to continue reading his work...

But not before you finish reading mine, damn it.

For whatever reason -- probably because I felt like a change of pace after the B&W likes of 'Rumble Fish' and 'Manhattan' and 'Duck Soup' -- Drew picked the certainly colorful'Used Cars'as our follow-up. I've seen my fair share of films directed by Robert Zemeckis, but beyond the immaculate 'Back to the Future,' I hadn't really appreciated the few screenplays co-written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. What this film and, later on, '1941' made me realize was what kind of craft Zemeckis used to bring to his screenplays, a special effect in and of itself that has since been eclipsed by his preoccupation with advancing on-screen technology to increasinglyeerie effect.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. 'Used Cars' starts with a dream: Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell) wants to run for office. More importantly, he's willing to do anything and everything to get off the used car lot at which he's currently glad-handing customers, if not outright duping them. Owner Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden) doesn't support Rudy's proudly amoral approach, but he loves the kid and he'll do anything to keep his brother, Roy (also Warden), from putting the lot out of business. Of course, Roy's even sneakier and manages to have the already frail Luke agitated into having a heart attack, forcing Rudy to take drastic measures in order to move that metal.

I was initially won over by the film's ribald yet affable sense of humor and charming cast. (Russell's perfectly cocky/charming/desperate here, and between this and 'Phantom of the Paradise,' I'm starting to form a soft spot for the wide-eyed antics of Gerrit Graham.) Rudy knows that sex sells, and that the right lie can not just sell a car, but save the day; to see our"hero"show up in court and convince Luke's daughter and heir apparent (Deborah Harmon) to lie under oath in a last-ditch effort to salvage their business only reinforces the casual refrain of"Trust me"that seems to issue from every last liar's mouth at some point. It's a refreshingly skewed view of the American Dream post-Watergate, mid-Iran hostage crisis: the only honest men here are soon dead, and some of these hucksters who openly criticize the government are merely thousands of dollars and votes away from being the target of constant cynicism rather than the culprit for a change.

However, I wasn't prepared for the scale of the film's climax. For all intents and purposes, 'Used Cars' starts out as a small comedy that volleys from one side of the street to another, but Zemeckis and Gale go for broke with a desert-set, 250-car race to the finish line that I would've expected from '1941' or 'The Blues Brothers,' not from this. It's great, though, as a stunt spectacle full of people jumping between cars and cars ramping over trains, as an opportunity to finally pay off several smaller gags, and as an excuse to introduce a much-needed ticking-clock element to the otherwise shaggy proceedings.

Few modern comedies bother with such a calculated and satisfying sense of escalation, instead dawdling their way to the two-hour mark (I'm looking at you, Judd Apatow). More disappointingly, Zemeckis hasn't bothered to write anything in the past two decades that even attempts to match the playful nature of his work here. Granted, neither he nor Gale have to prove themselves anymore, but it'd be nice to see them step away from the temptations of motion-capture and back towards making comedies that genuinely reward an audience for their time and trust.

Usually, I'd sign off with the phrase"Until next time..."followed by a quote from whatever movie I was covering. I suppose there's little use in maintaining the sentiment, though. I've had a good run here. I'm grateful to Drew for allowing me to pick up the dropped baton that was"The Basics,"even if things did taper off in the end on my part. I'm beyond beholden to Erik and Scott for giving me the opportunity to find my voice before such a staggering audience. And finally, I'm thankful to Rudy Russo for encouraging me to follow my dreams and finally run for Senate.

Good night, everybody, and don't forget to vote Goss in 2012!

Source

суббота, 26 марта 2011 г.

Today on indieWIRE: 'Sucker Punch' Gets Knocked Down, SXSW Director Gets Profiled& More

Today on indieWIRE, Zack Snyder's'Sucker Punch'continues to get pummeled, an up-and-coming British director is profiled, the'South Park'boys head to Broadway, and more.

'Sucker Punch'continues to get bashed on indieWIRE's blog network. In his review of theZackSnyder('Watchmen')-directed action pic,Leonard Maltinwrote,"Throughout this sensory assault I kept asking myself the same question: What's the point? And that's the problem: I'm not sure there is one."

In her post, subtly titledWhat the Hell Is Abbie Cornish Doing in Sucker Punch ?Women in Hollywood's Melissa Silversteintried very hard to understand why the indie darling agreed to take part in the project. Her conclusion?"What good does being in a sucky movie that will get horrible reviews do for a young actress like Cornish. I just don't see the upside."

In further'Sucker Punch'bashing news (does it ever end?),SpoutdissectedSnyder's failureat successfully creating an empowering film for the ladies.

To offer a bit of respite from all the'Sucker Punch'haters,The Playlistposted an extensive interview with most of the female cast.

Another film hitting theaters this week, albeit in limited release, isFrancois Ozon'sCatherine Deneuve-starring'Potiche.'The Playlisthailed the comedyas a return to form for the popular French filmmaker.

One of the big breakouts at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival and Conference wasAndrew Haigh'sgay romance,'Weekend.'indieWIREcaught up with the up-and-coming Britwhile in Austin during the event.

Following The Weinstein Co.'s big night at the Oscars -- where they nabbed Best Picture for'The King's Speech'-- the company has announced they will soon launch a TV department, a games division and a new PG-13 cut of the royal drama (due April 1).Anne Thompsondissects what the future holds for one of the biggest players in the game.

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Cinema

пятница, 1 апреля 2011 г.

Bill Murray Finally Signs On to 'Ghostbusters 3' ... and 'Ghostbusters 4'

четверг, 31 марта 2011 г.

Criterion Corner #6: The 10 Best Criterion Covers

среда, 30 марта 2011 г.

Early Edition: Uni 'Unbroken' With Laura Hillenbrand; Trio Joins 'Dead Circus'; More

вторник, 29 марта 2011 г.

Top 5 Blu-ray Picks of the Week: 'Black Swan,' 'The Ten Commandments'

понедельник, 28 марта 2011 г.

'Wimpy Kid' Outslugs 'Sucker Punch': Box Office Report March 25-27

воскресенье, 27 марта 2011 г.

The Basics: 'Used Cars' and Satisfying Endings

суббота, 26 марта 2011 г.

Today on indieWIRE: 'Sucker Punch' Gets Knocked Down, SXSW Director Gets Profiled& More

пятница, 1 апреля 2011 г.

четверг, 31 марта 2011 г.

среда, 30 марта 2011 г.

вторник, 29 марта 2011 г.

понедельник, 28 марта 2011 г.

воскресенье, 27 марта 2011 г.

суббота, 26 марта 2011 г.

пятница, 1 апреля 2011 г.

четверг, 31 марта 2011 г.

среда, 30 марта 2011 г.

вторник, 29 марта 2011 г.

понедельник, 28 марта 2011 г.

воскресенье, 27 марта 2011 г.

суббота, 26 марта 2011 г.