Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Don Cheadle's 'Marching Powder' Marches Forwardhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/19/don-cheadles-marching-powder-marches-forward/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/19/don-cheadles-marching-powder-marches-forward/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/19/don-cheadles-marching-powder-marches-forward/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

At the rate Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha (Tropa de Elite) is becoming attached to projects, I might need to start another annex called Cinematical Padilha. Earlier this week, I posted info about his latest documentary, Garapa, and prior to that I had written about his transfer to Hollywood for a South America-set action movie formerly (and maybe again?) called A Willing Patriot. Of course, I don't mind writing so much about the guy; Padilha is one of the most exciting new talents, and it's cool to see his career exploding.

Today's Padilha news is that he'll be writing and directing the based-on-a-true-story drama Marching Powder. Again, this one's set in South America (good to see a foreign filmmaker making such a gradual move to Hollywood), and if it sounds familiar, that's because we've seen Don Cheadle linked to it for awhile. The Oscar-nominated actor will reportedly still produce (along with Brad Pitt and others) and star as a British drug dealer serving time in a Bolivian prison, of which he eventually gives illegal tours to travelers (he became popular enough to be featured in Lonely Planet guides).

The movie will be based on the book "Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine and South America's Strangest Jail" by Thomas McFadden (the British drug dealer) and Rusty Young, who apparently found the story by signing on for one of the prison tours.

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]]>brad pittBradPittdon cheadleDonCheadlejose padilhaJosePadilhamarching powderMarchingPowderrusty youngRustyYoungthomas mcfaddenThomasMcfaddenChristopher CampbellSat, 19 Jul 2008 15:32:00 ESTLeonardo DiCaprio to Be One of the 'Inglorious Bastards'?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/16/leonardo-dicaprio-to-be-one-of-the-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/16/leonardo-dicaprio-to-be-one-of-the-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/16/leonardo-dicaprio-to-be-one-of-the-inglorious-bastards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The casting rumors for Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards just keep circulating -- I'm dying for something to be confirmed, already! Brad Pitt was rumored to be in talks for the key role of Aldo Raine, and given that Tarantino flew all the way to France to meet with him suggests it's more than idle talk.

Now, according to Variety, Tarantino wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play Hans Landa, and is meeting with the actor on Thursday to discuss the part with him. This would be DiCaprio's first time working with Tarantino, and frankly, it would be a nice break from his Martin Scorcese trend. DiCaprio is another one of those actors with a pre-production list a mile long, so a scheduling conflict could manage to keep him out of the movie.

While I was really behind the idea of Pitt, I'm not sure how I feel about DiCaprio. Don't get me wrong, I really like him, but he's becoming the go-to guy for just about every film that's in production. Plus, Tarantino is pretty famous for his inspired and offbeat casting. Hiring two of Hollywood's golden boys (and I mean that in a nice way) seems a little pedestrian. But Tarantino is anything but predictable, and he can coax surprising performances out of all sorts of actors. What looks rather uninspiring from the outside could be one of his best ensembles yet. What do you think?

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]]>brad pittBradPittinglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsleonardo dicaprioLeonardoDicaprioquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoElisabeth RappeWed, 16 Jul 2008 09:32:00 ESTIs Brad Pitt One of Tarantino's 'Inglorious Bastards'?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/09/is-brad-pitt-one-of-tarantinos-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/09/is-brad-pitt-one-of-tarantinos-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/09/is-brad-pitt-one-of-tarantinos-inglorious-bastards/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Quentin Tarantino is wasting no time getting Inglorious Bastards into production -- it may make Cannes 2009 after all! He's aiming now for an October shoot, his screenplay is apparently done, it's out to studios for financing, and now all he needs is his cast.

As of yet, there have been no official casting announcements, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, rumors are currently circling Brad Pitt's name. Frankly, the thought fills me with delight! Pitt does his finest work in edgier fare, and an appearance in a Tarantino-helmed movie (remember he played a role in True Romance, off a script written by Tarantino) seems long, long overdue. It would also bring his eerie career synchronicity with George Clooney full circle, wouldn't it?

The biggest question seems to be his schedule, which is jam packed with new babies, movies ( three of which he's starring in, eight that he is producing), publicity obligations, and his charity projects. I mean, he's trying to help rebuild New Orleans! Can he fit Inglorious Bastards in? October is not that far away.

Tarantino standbys Tim Roth and Michael Madsen have long been unofficially attached, and I have no doubt they'll make it legal before too long. I'd would love to see Harvey Keitel make an appearance too. And to have Pitt in the inglorious bunch seems so right.

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]]>Elisabeth RappeWed, 09 Jul 2008 09:32:00 ESTBrangelina Options International Prom Article?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/25/brangelina-options-international-prom-article/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/25/brangelina-options-international-prom-article/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/25/brangelina-options-international-prom-article/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This past Sunday, The New York Times featured a popular City-section story about the first-ever prom held for students of Brooklyn's International High School. In case you don't like to read, you can simply watch the video accompaniment here. And if you don't like to read and you don't like documentary-style videos, and have a lot of patience, you can wait for the feature film, which will apparently be hitting theaters some time in the future. According to New York magazine's Vulture blog, a number of producers are interested in optioning the article, while Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have personally brought it to the attention of Paramount Pictures, where Pitt's Plan B Entertainment has a first-look deal. Supposedly an unnamed non-Paramount studio exec beat us all to the punch by joking that "maybe Maddox and the twins can star in it." Of course, he forgot about Pax and Zahara (and the twins aren't really international).

Actually, the first joke I thought about was the running gag on TV's The Critic about the kid from Easter Island who attends the United Nations School. Then, the second joke I thought of was about Brangelina's adopted children. Then I kept thinking of other things, such as how thanks to Prom Night people might assume this other prom-themed movie is also a horror flick. But that's not so much a joke as it is me trying to think on a studio exec's level (hey, we were synchronous with the Maddox bit) in order to contemplate what they'd call the thing. International Prom? A Prom for All Nations (ala the video's title)? Or will Hollywood appropriately go for one of those song-based titles? Been around the World, perhaps?

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]]>angelina jolieAngelinaJoliebrad pittBradPittbrangelinainternational promInternationalPromnew york timesNewYorkTimesplan b entertainmentPlanBEntertainmentprom nightPromNightthe criticTheCriticChristopher CampbellWed, 25 Jun 2008 15:33:00 ESTThe Honest-to-Goodness 'Benjamin Button' Trailer!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/the-honest-to-goodness-benjamin-button-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/the-honest-to-goodness-benjamin-button-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/the-honest-to-goodness-benjamin-button-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

After enduring a moderate amount of fuss, our devoted readers can now click here for the Apple-exclusive English-language trailer for Brad Pitt and David Fincher's long-in-the-works The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Apparently made available only in the HD format to correspond with Fincher's expectedly demanding standards, the trailer is indeed that much more striking for it. To borrow my own words for it:

"...while the sparse dialogue clues us in on the surreal nature of the events unfolding, the bigger selling point is the scope with which director Fincher and star Brad Pitt find themselves working. It's as if Fincher tapped into his inner Jeunet, and as for Pitt... well, between this and that Burn After Reading trailer, the man's looking to have one hell of a year, and with any luck, so will audiences."

Benjamin Button is scheduled to hit theaters this Christmas, and when the next trailer for it comes around, we'll be sure to make mention of it once we're certain that everyone can actually watch the thing.

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]]>benjamin buttonBenjaminButtonbrad pittBradPittcate blanchettCateBlanchettcurious case of benj...CuriousCaseOfBenj...david fincherDavidFincherWilliam GossFri, 20 Jun 2008 19:02:00 ESTInternational Teaser for Coens' 'Burn After Reading'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/international-teaser-for-coens-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/international-teaser-for-coens-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/international-teaser-for-coens-burn-after-reading/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The consensus I've gotten from people after they've seen the red-band trailer for the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading is that nobody understands what it's about, and nobody cares, because everybody thinks it looks awesome. Well, if you thought that trailer was confusing, or at least lacking in plot synopsis, just imagine how moviegoers outside the U.S. feel after seeing this new international trailer.

As you can see, marketing to international audiences is more about selling the stars. Hence the CLOONEY, the McDORMAND, the MALKOVICH, the SWINTON and the PITT titles. As for story, there's even less revealed here than in the red-band trailer. In fact, it's almost a joke how little is said about the movie. Each actor/character maybe gets to slip in one or two words, which actually just serve as response to more intertitles telling us about the other major stars of the film: the Coens.

Continue reading International Teaser for Coens' 'Burn After Reading'

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]]>brad pittBradPittburn after readingBurnAfterReadingcoen brothersCoenBrothersethan coenEthanCoenfrances mcdormandFrancesMcdormandgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjoel coenJoelCoenjohn malkovichJohnMalkovichraising arizonaRaisingArizonatilda swintonTildaSwintonChristopher CampbellFri, 20 Jun 2008 18:02:00 ESTEXCLUSIVE: 'Burn After Reading' Poster Premiere!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/17/exclusive-burn-after-reading-poster-premiere/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/17/exclusive-burn-after-reading-poster-premiere/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/17/exclusive-burn-after-reading-poster-premiere/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Cinematical is absolutely stoked to be premiering this exclusive poster for Burn After Reading (click to enlarge), written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen -- whose last film, No Country for Old Men, caused quite the stir last year online, in theaters and at the Academy Awards. Not sure if you heard of it ... something about a cowboy and a weird haircut? Yes? Maybe? Anyway, one thing the Coen boys are known for are their casts, and Burn After Reading is no exception; this flick boasts appearances from, well, read the poster. You've got Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton. Need I say more? Or less? (Will this post self-destruct in sixty seconds?)

What's being touted as a "dark, spy-comedy," Burn After Reading looks to return the brothers to the kind of humor that was found in films like Raising Arizona or The Big Lebowski (two of my personal favs). The synopsis goes a little something like this: An ousted CIA official's (Academy Award nominee John Malkovich) memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees intent on exploiting their find.

Burn After Reading will premiere at the 2008 Venice International Film Festival before arriving in theaters on September 12th.

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]]>burn after readingburn after reading movie posterBurnAfterReadingBurnAfterReadingMoviePostercinematicalethan coenEthanCoenjoel coenJoelCoenno country for old menNoCountryForOldMenraising arizonaRaisingArizonathe big lebowskiTheBigLebowskiErik DavisTue, 17 Jun 2008 17:31:00 ESTLatest Captain America Casting Rumor: Leo?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/13/latest-captain-america-casting-rumor-leo/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/13/latest-captain-america-casting-rumor-leo/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/13/latest-captain-america-casting-rumor-leo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

He's portrayed a few iconic characters, including Shakespeare's Romeo and Howard Hughes, but could Leonardo DiCaprio be taken seriously as an iconic superhero? Specifically the Sentinel of Liberty -- Captain America? According to Latino Review (a site well-known and typically respected for its accuracy with rumors of this sort), Marvel Studios has placed Leo on the top of their list of candidates for the role. Of course, there's been no offer made yet, and this is simply the same sort of wish list we heard about for Thor (Brad Pitt is the top of that list), so there's no need to get crazy over the possibility ... yet.

Speaking of Pitt, Marvel apparently has placed him as second on their list for Cap. They either want him for The First Avenger: Captain America or Thor. Maybe they'll even offer him the roles of Ant-Man and everyone else in The Avengers (it would be like this, but with Pitt playing all the roles instead of Johnny Depp). There's no mention of who is #3. It could be Matthew McConaughey, who was rumored to be considered before. Or, it could be George Washington. Yes, the real G.W., first President of the United States. Not only is he perfectly relevant for the part, but I think Marvel has as good a chance of casting him as they do of casting Leo.

Continue reading Latest Captain America Casting Rumor: Leo?

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]]>ant-mancaptain americaCaptainAmericairon manIronManleonardo dicaprioLeonardoDicapriomatthew mcconaugheyMatthewMcconaugheythe avengersthe first avenger captain americaTheAvengersTheFirstAvengerCaptainAmericathortitanicChristopher CampbellFri, 13 Jun 2008 11:32:00 EST'Benjamin Button' Gets English-Language Trailerhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/11/benjamin-button-gets-english-language-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/11/benjamin-button-gets-english-language-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/11/benjamin-button-gets-english-language-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

UPDATE: Scratch that, folks. According to JoBlo.com, the trailer has been taken down at the request of the studio and "Fincher himself." Paramount has then assured the site that the trailer will be officially posted - in all its HD glory - on Apple's trailer site in the very near future. Sorry about that, guys, but we'll keep you posted once they get it posted.

Previously available in either en Español or attached to prints of Indiana Jones..., we can now (cannot quite) bring you the English-language trailer for David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, courtesy of JoBlo.com.

Naturally, it still stands that, while the sparse dialogue clues us in on the surreal nature of the events unfolding, the bigger selling point is the scope with which director Fincher and star Brad Pitt find themselves working. It's as if Fincher tapped into his inner Jeunet, and as for Pitt... well, between this and that Burn After Reading trailer, the man's looking to have one hell of a year, and with any luck, so will audiences.

It 's also worth noting that adapting this F. Scott Fitzgerald story for the big screen is screenwriter Eric Roth, whose own Forrest Gump similarly chronicled the life of a man whose presence managed to manifest itself across several eras of American culture and history.

In what is perhaps a fitting sense of time, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button doesn't open until this Christmas, and yet it suddenly can't seem to get here soon enough.

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]]>benjamin buttonBenjaminButtonbrad pittBradPittcate blanchettCateBlanchettcurious case of benj...CuriousCaseOfBenj...david fincherDavidFincherWilliam GossWed, 11 Jun 2008 20:32:00 ESTTrailer Park: Venus and Marshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/07/trailer-park-venus-and-mars/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/07/trailer-park-venus-and-mars/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/07/trailer-park-venus-and-mars/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



No, I'm not talking about Paul McCartney and Wings' "Venus and Mars" (though that is a pretty awesome tune). I suppose you would be hard pressed to find a movie with no romantic angle at all, but these five trailers focus specifically on male/female relationships.

Nights in Rodanthe
No, this doesn't have anything to do with that radioactive pterodactyl occasionally seen hanging out with Godzilla (that's Rodan to the uninitiated). Actually this one (which Erik first posted about here) stars Richard Gere as a doctor on his way to reconcile with his son. His trip takes an unexpected turn when he begins a love affair with an innkeeper whose loveless marriage is on the skids. Christopher Meloni plays the estranged husband, which doesn't seem all that different from his role on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. It looks like a competent production, but it just reeks of Bridges of Madison County. There may be something worthwhile here, but it's not my cup of tea.

He's Just Not That Into You
If nothing else, the cast of this adaptation of the novel by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo will make you sit up and take notice. Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, and Justin Long star with Barrymore also producing. The film follows several interconnecting stories, with the trailer showing us several romantic missteps that could easily come from any romantic comedy, but the cast is so top-notch that I find myself wanting to see more. This one hits theaters on October 24. Here's Elisabeth's take on the trailer.

Continue reading Trailer Park: Venus and Mars

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]]>CinemaCinematicalHes Just Not That Into YouHesJustNotThatIntoYouMarley and MeMarleyAndMeMoviesNights in RodantheNightsInRodantheThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonThe WomenTheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButtonTheWomenMatt BradshawSat, 07 Jun 2008 21:02:00 ESTBrad Pitt, Architecthttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/02/brad-pitt-architect/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/02/brad-pitt-architect/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/02/brad-pitt-architect/#commentsFiled under:

As if he didn't have enough to do, what with all the films he's signed on to and with all the goodwill he's involved in with partner Angelina Jolie and, most importantly, with twins on the way, Brad Pitt will be co-designing a hotel and resort to be built in Dubai. According to Bloomberg, the actor will be a consultant with L.A. architecture firm Graft LLC, which is designing the 800-room hotel-resort for developer Zabeel Properties. Pitt said in a statement: "Acting is my career; architecture is my passion." He also noted that the hotel will feature environmentally friendly architecture, and will also "embrace [his] career in entertainment," whatever that means. Pitt has already been associated with Graft, which is working with the actor on plans to rebuild a Katrina-devastated neighborhood in New Orleans with 150 environmentally friendly homes.

I was never aware of Pitt's interest in architecture (apparently he's a huge admirer of the work of Charles Rennie MacKintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright and is even friends with Frank Gehry), but if Marvel Studios is still interested in the actor for the role of The Mighty Thor, they might want to alter their plans and focus the superhero film on temporary- Thor-replacement-turned-independent-superhero Thunderstrike, whose alter ego is an architect named Eric Masterson. And Marvel might want to also remind Pitt that Dubai is also the future location of a Marvel theme park, too. Surely there could be some sort of tie-in with the planned hotel-resort.

[via Curbed]

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]]>brad pittBradPittdubaithe mighty thorTheMightyThorthorthunderstrikeChristopher CampbellMon, 02 Jun 2008 17:32:00 ESTTrailer Park: Pattern Shmatternhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/30/trailer-park-pattern-shmattern/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/30/trailer-park-pattern-shmattern/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/30/trailer-park-pattern-shmattern/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Have you ever read a film review in which the critic went to great pains to find meaning and symbolism that really wasn't there? I was reminded of that practice just now as I struggled in vain to find a common theme with which to bind together five previews for today's Trailer Park. Rather than trying to find structure where none truly exists, I'm just going with five trailers I find interesting. Cool?

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Yes, I'm a big enough Kevin Smith fan that I stayed up for the midnight launch of this trailer on the Quick Stop Entertainment site. Unfortunately I didn't realize they meant midnight on the West coast, so I was slightly sleep deprived when I finally caught the trailer this morning. As Erik pointed out in his recent post, Smith states that this is just a teaser and doesn't contain even a second of footage from the actual film. The title characters (played by Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) are lifelong platonic friends who decide to produce a porn flick together. The teaser shows them auditioning talent, but we only see the two of them as they struggle through the unfamiliar process. No belly laughs, but it is quite funny and charming, while being verbally graphic. This is a bit of a relief, as the "I'm F***ing Seth Rogen" video that was circulating a little while ago featured the two stars riffing on Sarah Silverman's hilarious "I'm F***ing Matt Damon" video without really adding much. More importantly, I learned a new word today: "manscape."

Continue reading Trailer Park: Pattern Shmattern

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]]>Burn After ReadingBurnAfterReadingEnd of the LineEndOfTheLineMonster CampMonsterCampThe Go-GetterTheGo-getterZack and Miri Make a PornoZackAndMiriMakeAPornoMatt BradshawFri, 30 May 2008 18:15:00 ESTNew Photos from The Coens' 'Burn After Reading'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/02/new-photos-from-the-coens-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/02/new-photos-from-the-coens-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/02/new-photos-from-the-coens-burn-after-reading/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

After the gut-wrenching terror of No Country for Old Men (I haven't been that tense in a movie theater since, well, ever), I can safely say that I am incredibly relieved that the Coens' next film, Burn After Reading, looks like it is going to be a lot more fun. First Showing now has some stills from the Coens' black comedy, and it would appear that the brothers are returning to what I like to call their 'Raising Arizona roots.'

Burn is the story of a CIA agent (played by George Clooney) who is assigned to investigate the case of a former agent named Ozzie Cox (John Malkovich) who has taken his revenge on the agency by writing a tell-all memoir. When Cox's ex-wife (played by Tilda Swinton) steals the only copy and leaves it behind at her gym, the gym's owner (Frances McDormand) and star personal trainer (Brad Pitt) see an opportunity to engage in a little blackmail.

The Coen flick just got the nod to open the Venice Film Festival this year, but Burn will not be making an appearance at Cannes this year (which is a little strange considering the luck they had at the French festival last year). This makes it zero for two for Pitt now that his other high-profile film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, also failed to make the list for Cannes. Burn After Reading is scheduled for wide release on September 12th, 2008.

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]]>brad pittBradPittburn after readingBurnAfterReadingethan coenEthanCoengeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjoel coenJoelCoenjohn malkovichJohnMalkovichthe curious case of ...TheCuriousCaseOf...tilda swintonTildaSwintonJessica BarnesFri, 02 May 2008 13:40:00 ESTBrad Pitt Looking For 'Lost City of Z'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/01/brad-pitt-looking-for-lost-city-of-z/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/01/brad-pitt-looking-for-lost-city-of-z/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/01/brad-pitt-looking-for-lost-city-of-z/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Now this is an intriguing movie premise. Variety reports that Paramount and Brad Pitt have grabbed up the rights for Lost City of Z, David Grann's yet-to-be-published manuscript about a group of lost explorers. Brad Pitt will be producing with his Plan B shingle as a potential starring vehicle.

Grann's book uncovers the forgotten story of British explorer Col. Percy Harrison Fawcett, who set out in 1926 with a group of explorers to find a legendary "City of Z" in the Amazonian rainforest. They disappeared without a trace, and over the next 70 years numerous explorers have tried to retrace their steps, including Grann himself. No one has ever succeeded.

The book, which will be published by Doubleday in February 2009, is an expansion of an article Grann wrote on Fawcett for the New Yorker. (There's an abstract available on the New Yorker site, but one needs access to Lexus-Nexus to obtain the whole thing.) It sounds like a page turner of a story -- rumors of Fawcett being held in captivity, murdered by native tribes, even a theory that the City of Z was a portal to another dimension. The early years of the 20th century were such a hotbed of exploration, too. Everyone wanted to find tombs and lost cities. There haven't been many serious movies set around the heyday of the tomb raiders, so this could be really promising. Or it could completely stray from nonfiction and jump into the realm of the metaphysical -- maybe Pitt is sorry he passed up The Fountain and wants to tackle Mayan spirituality after all?

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]]>Brad PittDavid GrannLost City of ZLostCityOfZplan bPlanBElisabeth RappeTue, 01 Apr 2008 10:02:00 EST'World War Z' Gets an Early Script Reviewhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/27/world-war-z-gets-an-early-script-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/27/world-war-z-gets-an-early-script-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/27/world-war-z-gets-an-early-script-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If nothing else, at least fans of Max Brooks' book World War Z can be a little more at ease with the idea of a big screen version. AICN reports that they have gotten their hands on an early version of the script for the 'zombie drama' World War Z ... and what's the verdict? According to them, "I love this script. Love every dark, somber, upsetting page of it. This is a horror epic, a serious, sober-minded adult picture waiting to be made, and it's one of the best pieces of screenwriting craft I've encountered in a while." AICN's review also goes into detail about some of the plot for the film, so if you haven't read the book and like to be surprised you might want to avoid reading the whole review.

News of the film first emerged last February, when it was first announced that Brad Pitt's Plan B Productions would produce a feature film. The structure of the novel is a compendium of stories from survivors of a war between the living and the undead. The plot jumps time and space, so it must not have been an easy task to weave all these stories into one narrative. The task fell to J. Michael Straczynski (a comic book writer and a creator of TVs Babylon 5), and it would appear that he has done a bang up job of it.

Continue reading 'World War Z' Gets an Early Script Review

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]]>Brad PittBradPittj. michael straczynskiJ.MichaelStraczynskiworld war zWorldWarZJessica BarnesThu, 27 Mar 2008 19:32:00 EST'Burn After Reading' Gets a Release Datehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/04/burn-after-reading-gets-a-release-date/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/04/burn-after-reading-gets-a-release-date/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/04/burn-after-reading-gets-a-release-date/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Even though a lot of fans of The Coen Brothers haven't been all that happy with the results of their collaborations with George Clooney (I think I was one of the eight people in the world who actually enjoyed Intolerable Cruelty.), I've still got a good feeling about their CIA comedy, Burn After Reading. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Focus Features will release the dark comedy on September 12th of this year.

Burn has an all-star cast including Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, and Tilda Swinton. I would guess that it's been like 'old home week' on set; we all know that Clooney and Pitt are buddies, and Swinton could be an honorary member of the boys club after her Oscar winning performance in Michael Clayton (and judging by her acceptance speech, she seems comfortable with a little verbal rough-housing).

The comedy stars Malkovich as Ozzie Cox, a CIA vet who gets fired for being an alcoholic, and writes out his revenge in a memoir. His soon-to-be ex-wife (Swinton) accidentally leaves the memoir at a gym, where it falls into the hands of a trainer, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), and the gym's owner Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), who want to exploit the discovery. It sounds like a pretty 'fluffy' flick, but I think we could all use a break from the Coens' more "intense" point of view, wouldn't you agree, friendo?

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]]>Brad PittBradPittBurn After ReadingBurnAfterReadingGeorge ClooneyGeorgeClooneyJohn MalkovichJohnMalkovichMichael ClaytonMichaelClaytonOscarThe CoensTheCoensTilda SwintonTildaSwintonJessica BarnesTue, 04 Mar 2008 13:32:00 ESTStars in Rewind: Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp Kill Kids with Mulletshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/25/stars-in-rewind-brad-pitt-and-johnny-depp-kill-kids-with-mullet/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/25/stars-in-rewind-brad-pitt-and-johnny-depp-kill-kids-with-mullet/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/25/stars-in-rewind-brad-pitt-and-johnny-depp-kill-kids-with-mullet/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



We've already brought you Brad Pitt selling Pringles. But how about the good old days when Brad acted his young heart out? Well, you could say acted, but his talents back in the '80s do not reveal the success to come. You can search around and find some embarrassing clips from his stint on Dallas, but I thought I would throw up a little pirate flavor.

Back in 1988, Pitt popped up as a high school student in an episode of 21 Jump Street. Along with Captain Jack Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise (who is currently a director on the new Canadian show jPod), you'll also notice Cheryl Pollak -- who played smartie Paige Woodward in Pump Up the Volume. So her brother spends a night in jail, with his super-saucy mullet, and letterman-jacket Pitt teases him mercilessly because the bad dude partied without him. I have to say, Pitt's voice sure got deeper over the years. Brad totally could've pulled off a cross-dressing role back then.

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]]>21 Jump Street21JumpStreetBrad PittBradPittCheryl PollackCherylPollackJohnny DeppJohnnyDeppPeter DeLuisePeterDeluiseMonika BartyzelMon, 25 Feb 2008 15:30:00 ESTThe Exhibitionist: There Will Be Disappointmenthttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/24/the-exhibitionist-there-will-be-disappointment/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/24/the-exhibitionist-there-will-be-disappointment/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/24/the-exhibitionist-there-will-be-disappointment/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,



If you still haven't seen all the Oscar-nominated films, you're not alone. I still haven't seen a number of them, and I have less excuse than most people. After all, I live in a city in which pretty much every nominee has played. Some major contenders I haven't gotten around to -- with little reason for not -- include Atonement, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Into the Wild, all of which are still in theaters and are probably best to see on the big screen.

Apparently, at least according to Variety, a lot of people are seeing the Oscar nominees on the big screen compared to in previous (recent) years, as cumulatively the five Best Picture contenders have seen a significant bump at the box office since the nominations were announced. I would be extremely excited if I didn't believe the truth is that Juno's tremendous success has elevated the Best Picture box office average. The comedy is showing on far more screens, is much more accessible to a wide audience and has so far earned twice as much money domestically as the next highest-grossing Best Picture nominee. Variety also this week had published a story about how Juno is the one movie that may save the Oscar telecast's ratings, since it's the one movie people have actually been able to or bothered to see. One thing I will note, though, is that Best Picture nominee Michael Clayton came out on DVD this past Tuesday and yet there was still a significant number of people seeing it in theaters through the week. Additionally, I would be interested to know how many people took advantage of yesterday's AMC Theatres-hosted Best Picture marathon.

Continue reading The Exhibitionist: There Will Be Disappointment

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]]>academy awardsAcademyAwardsatonementcinematicalinto the wildIntoTheWildjunomichael claytonMichaelClaytonno country for old menNoCountryForOldMenthe assassination of jesse james by the coward robert fordTheAssassinationOfJesseJamesByTheCowardRobertFordthere will be bloodThereWillBeBloodChristopher CampbellSun, 24 Feb 2008 09:32:00 ESTRain and Rainn at the Indie Spirit Awardshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/23/rain-and-rainn-at-the-indie-awards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/23/rain-and-rainn-at-the-indie-awards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/23/rain-and-rainn-at-the-indie-awards/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cinematical is live at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards! Our own Patrick Walsh will report back throughout the afternoon.

It is officially raining, and the big-time stars are rolling out. Javier Bardem is looking very dapper, I'm pretty sure I just saw indie favorite The Rock (?), and crowd just collectively spazzed out over Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I was just interviewed (insulted) by Jiminy Glick on Good Morning America so watch for that, though I'm not sure how much of it they'll be able to use. The discussion culminated with him dumping a barrel of popcorn on himself. Some quality journalism there! Seriously, I can't quite convey how funny Martin Short has been here today. Favorite line -- "I have lost weight, I'm doing Atkins. Not the diet, his widow."

Raining has given way to pouring, and the red carpet is looking soggy and bare. It's ten minutes to showtime and I'm about to head under the big tent for the show. I'll do my best to update you on the winners as they happen, and if you get the Independent Film Channel you can join in the Rainn Wilson-hosted fun live. My thanks to Netflix for setting up this sweet little blogging suite for me, and as an active subscriber, I don't even have to feel like a shameless whore saying that. Sorry for the rambling nature of these posts, but it's been pretty hectic...

For more photos and coverage, head on over to Moviefone.

Gallery: 2008 Indie Spirit Awards Arrivals

Diablo CodyLisa KudrowAllison JanneyElizabeth ReaserMolly Simms

Gallery: Jiminy Glick Does the 2008 Indie Spirit Awards

Jiminy Glick with Ellen PageJiminy Glick with Dennis Hopper and Rainn WilsonJiminy Glick with Ivan and Jason Reitman

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]]>angelina jolieAngelinaJoliebrad pittBradPittifcindependentspiritawardsPatrick WalshSat, 23 Feb 2008 16:53:00 ESTThe Write Stuff: Interview with "A Mighty Heart" Screenwriter John Orloffhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/23/the-write-stuff-interview-with-a-mighty-heart-screenwriter-jo/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/23/the-write-stuff-interview-with-a-mighty-heart-screenwriter-jo/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/23/the-write-stuff-interview-with-a-mighty-heart-screenwriter-jo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,



John Orloff got his break writing two episodes of the Emmy-winning HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. His latest script is another true-life tale -- Michael Winterbottom's A Mighty Heart, just out on DVD. Heart focuses on Mariane Pearl (Angelina Jolie), a reporter whose husband Daniel, an American journalist, was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan. The script just earned Orloff an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. The awards will be held on February 23rd.

Cinematical: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

John Orloff: I still don't know whether I want to be a writer! I went to UCLA Film School, and I had a great writing teacher who thought I had a particular skill in that department. So I kept taking that teacher for the whole time I was at UCLA, kept on writing. At the end of it I was 22, it was the late 80s, and people weren't really hiring young writers, so I started to work in advertising. Spent about ten years miserably working in commercials, until I met a woman -- who is now my wife -- who was working in the business as a development exec at HBO. And she was bringing home all these screenplays, and they were horrible! Just awful! And these people had agents, and they were working. So I pitched my wife a non-fiction movie that I had been thinking about writing for ten years, with the incredibly commercial idea of a sixteenth century English melodrama. It was actually about the Shakespeare authorship issue -- who wrote the plays? I wrote the script and had the misfortune of writing it two months before Shakespeare in Love came out. But I sent out this script, trying to get an agent, and did finally get "hip-pocketed" by an agency.

Cinematical: And that script eventually got you your big break with Tom Hanks -- pretty decent guy to start out with, no?

JO: Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, yes! The most important thing that happened out of the Shakespeare script was that Tom's company was among the readers. They liked it, and I met with Tom about another project, but every time I sat down with him I would ask if he had hired writers on Band of Brothers. I'm a huge World War II buff, and I think I eventually just wore him down. He finally asked me to write a script, and I wrote one episode. He was very happy with it and asked me to write another. So, that was my first paying gig.

Continue reading The Write Stuff: Interview with "A Mighty Heart" Screenwriter John Orloff

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]]>a mighty heartAMightyHeartangelina jolieAngelinaJolieband of brothersBandOfBrothersbrad pittBradPittdalton trumboDaltonTrumbojohn orloffJohnOrloffmichael winterbottomMichaelWinterbottommighty heartMightyHeartstanley kubrickStanleyKubricktom hanksTomHanksPatrick WalshWed, 23 Jan 2008 11:02:00 EST