Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 3/16
Filed under: New Releases, DVD Reviews, New on DVD, Home Entertainment
The Princess and the Frog
After a long wait, the Mouse House is back with another princess flick, following the young Tiana and the amphibian kiss that makes her a frog, rather than the frog prince human. In his review, Jeffrey M. Anderson pointed out the usual bits of troubling Disney themes and characterizations, but said regardless: "I have to say that I really enjoyed this film." If you've got a princess fan in the house -- Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
The Fourth Kind
Another scary flick said to be based on true events, this one finds Milla Jovovich playing a psychotherapist whose patients relay some heavy evidence for alien abduction. Todd Gilchrist reviewed the film during Screamfest and wrote: "The Fourth Kind is itself a little bit like a UFO sighting: you're not quite sure what you saw when it was happening, and it was momentarily exciting to experience, but if you really think about it, it's pretty ridiculous, and especially disappointing in retrospect." Skip it on DVD and Blu-ray.
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (on sale March 20th)
Twilight is back with installment number two, where the worst paper cut for all time inspires Edward to run away and Bella to get super-close to a certain Quileute werewolf. In his review, Gilchrist wrote: "Ultimately, to yours truly, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a mediocre film, but for Twilight fans it should qualify as a triumph." Does it need said? Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray if you're a fan of the first and of Stephenie Meyer's series.
On the twentieth, Twilight in Forks: The Saga of the Real Town will hit the shelves as well. Stay tuned to Cinematical for a review later this week.
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
Chloe Moretz Leads a Kick-Ass Cast for Scorsese's 'Hugo Cabret'
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Family Films
Are you familiar with Chloe Moretz? If not, you will be, very soon. The young girl is on fire. She helped calm Joseph Gordon-Levitt's nerves as his sister in (500) Days of Summer last year. Now she's playing the irresistible Hit Girl in Matthew Vaughn's latest, Kick-Ass, she's starring in the U.S. remake of the great Swedish vampire movie Let the Right One In (now titled Let Me In), and as Deadline Hollywood reports -- she will co-star alongside Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) in Martin Scorsese's next flick, an adaptation of Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. And that's not all, they also report that Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley are circling the feature.While it's been almost two years since we first heard about the project, news started gearing up in January with word that Martin Scorsese had replaced Chris Wedge (Robots, Ice Age) in the directorial seat. Yes, the man behind Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, The Departed, and Shutter Island is now entering the fantastical halls of children's fantasy. The story centers on an orphan named Hugo (Butterfield) whose thieving survival depends on anonymity. But then he meets a bookworm (Moretz) and an old man (Kingsley?), his secret private life, and the mechanical man he's working on, are put in jeopardy. Baron Cohen is circling the role of station inspector.
The fact that Scorsese is interested enough to helm the feature himself speaks volumes on the story's potential, not to mention the fact that it's not about wizards, werewolves, or vampires. And then there's Butterfield, Kingsley, Baron Cohen, and Ms. Moretz. If Harry Potter wasn't already winding down with his wizard war, I might wonder if he could be de-throned.
Geek Daily: More 'Captain America' Calls, Conan Casting, Batman vs Superman, and More!
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Deals, Lionsgate Films, Paramount, RumorMonger, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Dreamworks, Comic/Superhero/Geek
The geek news has taken two extremes as of late -- so enormous that I can barely fit it into one post, or nonexistent. Now, as the summer season draws near, we're getting all kinds of little bites as some big movies move into production. That means I get to revive my roundup, my bullet points, and my nifty little graphic!
- The hunt for Captain America continues. HitFix reports that Ryan Phillippe has been called up for a screen test, and Deadline Hollywood Daily countered with a report that Channing Tatum had been invited to test. (So, basically they're looking at the entire cast of Stop-Loss.) DHD is practically claiming Tatum is a done deal if he just accepts the offer Marvel may give him. (I beat Marvel to the punch a year ago! ) Since everyone who is blonde, tall, and handsome, how about Invictus' Scott Eastwood? He caught my eye kicking that winning goal.
- Variety reports that C2 Entertainment is adapting Red Eye Press' Dana Valentine series into a film. Valentine is an assassin who enjoys a typical contract killer's life -- always in danger, ducking her past, endangering those around her. I haven't read it, but I love assassin stories, so I'm going to hunt it down so I have a better opinion. In the meantime, good luck C2. You're new on the filmmaking block, but if you could make your name with an action heroine, I'll worship you forever.
SXSW in 60 Seconds: Monday, March 15, 2010
Filed under: Independent, SXSW, Festival Reports, Cinematical Indie
Photo by James Rocchi, who Tweeted: "This is madness. This is MacGruber. This is South By"
Celebrity Sightings: The Hollywood Reporter has some pics of Adrian Brody, Jamie Lynn Sigler and others from opening night of the festival.
Our Coverage: You saw the photo of Jen Yamato's red carpet interview with the ladies of Elektra Luxx yesterday; now learn what Malin Ackerman, Carla Gugino and Emmanuelle Chriqui told her, as well as what happened at the film's world premiere when the projection fails two-thirds through. Jen also interviewed Chloe Sevigny of Barry Munday and Mr. Nice.
Kevin Kelly talked with Leaves of Grass director Tim Blake Nelson and star (x2) Edward Norton and chatted up Cyrus lead Jonah Hill, who'd like Cinematical and other blogs to be a little gentle on him from now on.
As for reviews, Eric D. Snider calls the documentary His & Hers "adorably sweet." At Horror Squad, Alison Nastasi writes of Tony, "the story is more of a social realist character study than an outright horror film and some of the essentially British issues may be unfamiliar to certain audiences, but the overall ideas are universal." At SciFi Squad, Micah Matthews writes of Hubble 3D: "I can honestly say that watching this movie in true IMAX 3D was an experience unlike any I've had before."
Kick-Ass Females of SXSW: Chloe Sevigny
Filed under: New Releases, SXSW, Festival Reports, Interviews, Cinematical Indie
With so many female-driven films and strong roles at this year's fest, and in the spirit of the opening night film, we'll be profiling some of the most kick-ass females representing at SXSW this week. First up: Barry Munday and Mr. Nice star Chloe Sevigny.
Chloe Sevigny has been a staple of the indie film scene ever since her debut in Larry Clark's Kids, one of a handful of young actresses whose careers are comprised of consistently challenging roles and few critical missteps. She's worked with a litany of modern-day auteurs (including Werner Herzog, Harmony Korine, Woody Allen, David Fincher, and Lars von Trier), and stars on HBO's unorthodox drama Big Love. Naturally, Sevigny ranks atop our list of the bold and daring ladies representing this year's SXSW slate.
Cinematical caught up with Sevigny the day after Barry Munday, the first of her two films at the festival, debuted. (Her second film, Mr. Nice, premiered the next day.) Barry Munday, written and directed by Chris D'Arienzo (Broadway's Rock of Ages), is the crowd-pleasing tale of a verifiable douche bag (Patrick Wilson) who only truly becomes a man when he loses his testicles in a horrible incident; Sevigny and Judy Greer star as two polar opposite sisters who become involved in Barry's life. As the packed premiere screening at Austin's Paramount theater attested, SXSW was probably the perfect place to debut the off-the-wall comedy, which features a memorable scene involving Sevigny, a strip club, and the classic Whitesnake ditty, "Here I Go Again On My Own." (Read Peter Martin's review here.)
Girls on Film: Hollywood, Image, and Responsibility
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Columns, Girls on Film
If you're one of the 1 million + people who follow Heidi Montag on Twitter, you saw her March 10th tweet: "I was just cast in my first feature film comedy! I start filming Monday!!!!!" A few hours later, she talked about it being one of the best days of her life. No doubt -- this is the young woman who had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day because she wanted to be a "better" Heidi, and thought it was necessary for her career. Looks like she was right; she's been busy memorizing her script, and experiencing her first day on-set. The movie in question -- Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's Just Go with It, where she'll play Kevin Nealon's wife. (This is the project that used to be called The Pretend Wife.)
While we might beg to differ on the facial reformation Heidi underwent, and the large breasts she added to her slight frame -- all in the name of professional success and physical obsession -- Hollywood has bought into her notion hook line and sinker. Or, at the very least, Tinseltown is willing to cash in on her current fame as the cute girl who thought she wasn't cute enough, sending the message that plastic surgery is important, or at the very least, that it will help you get 15 minutes of fame.
Their Best Role: Jennifer Jason Leigh in 'The Anniversary Party'
Filed under: Drama, Independent, Cinematical Indie
For an actress who's been working regularly for more than 35 years (since the age of 9), and who comes from a Hollywood family (her father was actor Vic Morrow and her mother is screenwriter Barbara Turner), the great Jennifer Jason Leigh seems severely taken for granted. It's possibly fitting that outside her Best Villain win at the 1992 MTV Movie Awards, her most prestigious non-critic or non-festival-based awards have come through being part of ensembles. Unlike some great performers regularly likened to chameleons, she's more comparable to a camouflaging lizard for her ability not to stand out too much while doing her job perfectly -- I don't consider it bad that I forgot she's in Synecdoche, New York, for instance.
Try to name her best performance, or her best movie. It's not easy, whether because she's consistently brilliant or because she's not exactly in many truly brilliant films. And honestly, I may not have seen her "greatest" performance, whether it was in Miami Blues, The Hitcher, Rush, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Georgia, Dolores Claiborne, Single White Female, Last Exit to Brooklyn or maybe her first prominent and memorable film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I'm particularly fond of her as the quirky avant garde filmmaker Lydia in The Big Picture, and one of the few films of hers I really enjoyed is Cronenberg's eXistenZ -- that and The Hudsucker Proxy, though she's probably my least favorite part of the Capra-like Coen brothers film.
Pitch of the Day: 'Julius Caesar' As a High School Movie
It's about time for another teen movie based on a Shakespeare play. She's the Man, which set Twelfth Night in the world of high school soccer, came out four whole years ago (literally, four years this weekend). And who knows when Catherine Hardwicke's college-set Hamlet with Emile Hirsch will be made. I'm surely not the only person spoiled by all those modernizations of the Bard starring Julia Stiles a decade ago, and there are just so many untapped works still to update. Since today is the Ides of March, let me suggest a high school movie based on Julius Caesar. Some might say (or even make video essays on how) Mean Girls is already a loose adaptation of the tragedy and even references the play to acknowledge intended parallels. So you could say this is an unnecessary idea. But that's like arguing that we didn't need She's the Man because Just One of the Guys already existed. Okay, so maybe we really didn't. But a more literal translation of Julius Caesar is still a good idea. You could give it a student council setting, though not in a way that would make it too similar to Election. Or, if that's too obvious, set it amidst some high school sport, like both She's the Man and the Othello-based O did.
What Made Us So Sensitive to Spoilers?
Filed under: Fandom
Due to an early distaste for any sort of media critiques -- an affliction I got over as soon as I realized that it could add value to the experience -- I never really followed film criticism. I'd occasionally watch Siskel and Ebert for the arguing, and I'd read newspaper reviews if I wanted to know the general plot of a film, but that was all. It wasn't until much later that I got into reading old-school reviews from the likes of Ebert himself and the venerable Pauline Kael.When a friend gave me Kael's For Keeps, I was excited. I planned to use the thick tome as a guide to usher me through some of the older, classic flicks I hadn't seen. I opened to a random page and started reading. I cannot tell you what review I read, because after one page of text, I shut the book and spent the next five minutes trying to forget the spoilers. Luckily, it worked, and I have no idea what the film was and what the spoilers were.
This wasn't some random crappy critic spoiling the film. This was a review from Pauline Kael, one of the most revered, if not the most revered movie critic. She may have set high standards for cinematic criticism, but you have to read her reviews after the movie, as a discussion piece rather than a barometer for what you should see. Her comprehensive review of The Deer Hunter, for example, describes every major plot point from beginning to end.
21st Annual GLAAD Awards Honors Achievements in Promoting LGBT Awareness
Filed under: Gay & Lesbian, Awards
The 21st Annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards ceremony took place last night in New York, and the stars were out in force. The GLAAD Media Awards elevate and promote fair, accurate and inclusive stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, people and allies that have increased awareness, and understanding and respect for the lives of LGBT people. Cynthia Nixon and Joy Behar were the night's honored guests, but awards were presented to countless other individuals for their contributions in promoting acceptance and tolerance of the LGBT community.Sex and the City's Nixon was presented with the Vito Russo Award. The award is named after GLAAD founding member and The Celluloid Closet author Russo, and is presented to an openly lesbian or gay member of the entertainment or media community for outstanding contributions toward eliminating homophobia. Behar, meanwhile, received the Excellence in Media Award for her continued efforts in educating the public about the lives of gay and transgendered people through her HLN talk show.
The film community was well-represented at the event, with Paul Morrison's Little Ashes winning in the Outstanding Film: Limited Release Category. An impressive win, particularly since the film features Twilight's Robert Pattinson as Salvador Dali. That's a bold casting choice to say the least.
Sigourney Weaver was on hand to accept the award for Prayers for Bobby, which won in the Outstanding TV Movie or Miniseries category. The film was directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a true story about a gay rights crusader (Weaver) whose son commits suicide over her religious intolerance.
[After the jump: what about Kirby Dick's film, Outrage?]
Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 3/16
Chloe Moretz Leads a Kick-Ass Cast for Scorsese's 'Hugo Cabret'
Girls on Film: Hollywood, Image, and Responsibility
SXSW: Snafu, Standing Ovation at the 'Elektra Luxx' Premiere
Watch This: 'Eclipse' Footage from 'New Moon' DVD
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