You know him as the tough-talking car thief from the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, but before he becamePaul Walker'snemesis-turned-best-bud,Vin Dieselwas a badass B-boy.
Should Vin have given up creating instructional break-dancing videos for the silver screen? Our friends from5Minhave it all on video -- watch it for yourself and decide:
Some other interesting facts about Vin Diesel you may not know...
1. His real name is Mark Sinclair Vincent.
2. He worked as a bouncer for the now-defunct NYC nightclub Tunnel.
3. He's a twin; his brother, Paul works as a film editor.
4. His mother was an astrologer; his sign is Cancer.
5. He's a real-life hero, too. In 2002, he witnessed a car crash while cruising around Hollywood on his motorcycle. He pulled the family from the car before the car was destroyed by flames.
Transpose Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski to the Old West and you get 'True Grit's' Rooster Cogburn. Transpose Rooster Cogburn to the spirit world and you get ...Jeff Bridgesin'R.I.P.D.,' a supernatural action comedy about a ghost-busting police force.
According toDeadline,Bridges is in final negotiations to star oppositeRyan Reynoldsin the Universal film, based on the Dark Horse comic written by Peter M. Lenkov.
R.I.P.D. stands for Rest In Peace Department, a police force comprised of ghosts who battle spirits unready to depart this world. Reynolds will play Nick Cruz, a recently slain cop who joins the force to find his own murderer. Bridges would play Cruz's very old partner, a gunslinger from the Old West who's been hunting spirits since the 1800s.
The second lead role was originally to be filled by Zach Galifianakis, but the deal fell through and Bridges is stepping in. Robert Schwentke ('Red') is attached to direct.
Hot Docs, North America's biggest documentary film festival, kicks off its 2011 run today in Toronto. Jam-packed with documentaries running through May 8,Moviefone Canadawill be there from start to finish, offering up looks at some of the festival's noted films.
A movie about selling ad-space within a movie seems like a curious and potentially boring premise. But it's brought to life thanks to the hilarious personality and ambitious creativity ofMorgan Spurlock, the man who brought us the experimental McDonald's doc 'Super Size Me.'
The sensational documentary filmmaker is back, and this time, with 'POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,' he wants to play in the vast and cash-flush sandbox of advertising. More specifically, he wants to sell product placement spots in his 90-minute feature film.
The art of co-promotion being used to get a film off the ground is explored to the point of absurdity and alarm in this commerce adventure, and Spurlock comes at the project with both humility and confidence.
The doc starts with what you might expect: failure. It seems most of the ad execs who give him a meeting (usually on their lunch hours, from the looks of it) are suspicious of what Spurlock is up to. The idea of making a movie about product placement by using money made from product placement is too meta for the safe-betting Madison Avenue types.
After some work with lawyers, a few favors from big thinker Richard Kirshenbaum, and the first sale to Ban bath products, things start to get interesting. For one, the title sponsor POM Wonderful comes on board. Lynn Resnick looks every part the unsure guinea pig when Spurlock first asks her team at POM Wonderful to be his sugar mama. While the title of this film gives away the outcome, it is a blast to see the entrepreneurial spirit of Spurlock at work.
Enter the cautionary figures of Ralph Nader and Noam Chomsky. While both men are having fun as Spurlock tempts them with sips of pomegranate juice and points out his brand new Merrell Shoes (a sponsor), they remind him that this farcical project could end up with corporate mega-brands using him, rather than the other way around. This is about as high as the drama reaches in 'Greatest Movie Ever Sold,' but the point comes across when Spurlock runs into some frustrating demands from his sponsors.
'Greatest Movie Ever Sold' builds before your eyes. When word gets out that a few brave brands have rolled the dice with the mischievous documentarian, the calls start coming in. Is the idea still pure? Or is the joke now on him? While dealing with his own troubles, Spurlock takes a few side trips to speak with other pillars of business and public life that are struggling with an ad-heavy world. Musicians, public school trustees, and even Donald Trump weigh in on the current state of brands and billboards.
One thing is for sure: This is not the serious tome that is Naomi Klein's 'No Logo.' Here Spurlock is fully engaged with brand partners, has corporate commitments, and while he is pouring hot sauce all over the big enchilada, he slowly transforms into an ingredient himself.
Screenings: Thursday, April 28– 6:30PM– Winter Garden Theatre Friday, April 29– 4:15PM– Isabel Bader Theatre
For complete schedule and movie listings, visit theHot Docs website.
There's no term limits on killer cyborgs. Just ask ex-California governorArnold Schwarzeneggerwho,Deadlinereports, is eyeing his return to the big screen by taking on his most iconic role: the Terminator.
What's more, directorJustin Lin,whose'Fast Five'is expected to open with a bang at the box office this weekend, is part of a package that is being shopped around to the studios today by CAA, which represents Schwarzenegger. Robert W. Cort is producing, though no screenwriter has been hired. Universal, Sony, and Lionsgate are already interested.
Since leaving Sacramento, Schwarzenegger has been interested in several projects, including Summit's 'The Tomb' and Lionsgate's 'Last Stand,' but this is, obviously, the role that tickles his fancy.
Are we ready for a fifth Terminator film? Are we ready for an old Terminator (Schwarzenegger turns 64 this July)? It will be interesting to see what a studio comes up with, given the sketchy track record of the last two entries in the franchise. But if there's anything we've learned from Hollywood, it's that with the proper care and feeding, anything old can be made new again -- tinseltown's mantra of remake, redo and reboot can bring bust or boom.
You've seen'The Godfather,'right? Of course, you say. The horse head in the bed. The shoot-out in the Italian restaurant."Leave the gun, take the cannoli."You know it all by heart.
Unless, that is, you're among the film fans who've been lying about having seen the crime classic. According to a new U.K. poll, 30 percent of respondents confessed they've never actually seen the Oscar-winning film.
Like, 'The Godfather,''Casablanca'is another film that's so heavily quoted ("We'll always have Paris,"etc.) and prevalent in pop culture that many people feel like they've seen it even if, as 13 percent admitted, their claims don't amount to a hill of beans.
Check out the rest of the"must-see"films that are really"must lie about seeing,"among them two Martin Scorsese classics. OK, we get that you might not have the stomach for all that mob violence, but honestly, how hard it is it to watch the hilarious 'This Is Spinal Tap'? For shame, film fibbers!
The birds of'Rio'continued to feather their nest this weekend, holding on to the top spot at the box office for the second straight week with an estimated $26.8 million. Not flying quite so high was'Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family,'which had been expected to soar to No. 1 but had to settle for opening in second place with an estimated $25.8 million.
'Rio' held up remarkably well, losing just 32 percent oflast week'sbusiness; $26.8 million is a figure most movies would kill for during their first weekend. In ten days, the cartoon has racked up $81.3 million. Since it should continue to hold up over the next couple of weekends, in the absence of much family-friendly competition, 'Rio' could end up one of the biggest hits of the year.
Tyler Perry'ssixth movie featuring him performing in drag as gun-toting granny Madea had been expected to open between $30 and $34 million. After all, the last movie with"Madea"in the title (2009's 'Madea Goes to Jail') debuted with a whopping $41 million, albeit on a less crowded weekend. While 'Big Happy Family' premiered with an impressive per-screen average ($11,254 per venue, more than that of any other wide-release movie this week), its weekend total was more in line with Perry's average opening of $23.7 million over his last nine movies. Perry's popularity may not be slipping, but it seems he can no longer guarantee a $30 million-plus opening just by putting Madea's name in the title.
Debuting in third place was'Water for Elephants,'with an estimated $17.5 million. That's a tad higher than expected for theRobert Pattinson-Reese Witherspoonromance. It's also a very good number for a Pattinson movie that doesn't involve vampires. And it should continue to be a hit over the next few weeks, as there'll be little prestige-drama fare or romantic movies targeted at women as we transition into the summer popcorn season.
'Hop'hung around long enough to take advantage of Easter. In its fourth week, the bunny cartoon actually saw an increase in business (up 16 percent), which is rare. Its estimated take was $12.5 million, good for fourth place and a four-week total of just over $100 million.
'Scream 4,'on the other hand, lost a drastic 62 percent of its business since its debut last week, falling three spots to No. 5 on an estimated $7.2 million. Poor word-of-mouth has held the long-awaited horror sequel's two-weekend total down to $31.2 million.
For the third Earth Day in a row, Disney has released a nature documentary that opened in the $6 to $9 million range. This year's was'African Cats,'which clawed its way to a $6.4 million opening, debuting at No. 6.
Total box office for the top 10 was about 9 percent higher than the same weekend last year. That's two straight weekends of improvement over 2010, suggesting thatthe long slump of 2011may finally be on its way out.
Who knew thatRowan Atkinson, aka bumbling Mr. Bean, was a close friend of Prince Charles? If you did, then you're not as surprised as we were to learn that he, along with such celebrities as Elton John, Guy Ritchie and David and Victoria Beckham, has been invited to the royal wedding.
Of course, this brings to mind another Atkinson role, that of the speech-challenged priest at the second wedding in'Four Weddings and a Funeral,'who manages to flub both the bride and groom's names and invoke"The Holy Spigot."
Happily for William and Kate, Atkinson (who we also loved as supercilious royal butler Blackadder) is attending, not officiating the ceremony.
Watch the hilarious Atkinson scene from 'Four Weddings' after the jump.
And we just had to include a clip where Mr. Bean has a disastrous meeting with the Queen.
The full guest list for the royal wedding can be foundhere.
Transpose Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski to the Old West and you get 'True Grit's' Rooster Cogburn. Transpose Rooster Cogburn to the spirit world and you get ...
There's no term limits on killer cyborgs. Just ask ex-California governor
You've seen
Debuting in third place was
Who knew that