Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Summit Entertainment and Brad Pitt Staking 'Vlad'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/brad-pitt-vlad/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/brad-pitt-vlad/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/07/brad-pitt-vlad/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

You would have to be living under a rock in the deepest regions of the jungle, or the frostiest regions of the Arctic to avoid knowing that Summit has made some major money out of a bunch of broody vampires. So, while they're developing comic books and Houdini franchises, they're also making sure they have another immortal in their stable. The immortal of all immortals: Dracula. But it isn't the bloodsucking Dracula, but rather the one of historic legend known as Vlad Tepes.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Summit has optioned a script by actor-turned-writer Charlie Hunnam that tells the story of the young Vlad Tepes. Brad Pitt's Plan B is producing, and they're in negotiations with Anthony Mandler to direct. This would be Mandler's directorial debut, and he reportedly wowed them with a sizzle reel reminiscent of 300. THR notes that Summit has very much wanted their own 300 since losing Zack Snyder's to Warner Bros, and what better historical figure to adapt to that style than the Impaler?

The film is said to be "an action oriented take" but Vlad's military record is completely wrapped up the thousands upon thousands of people he had dismembered and impaled. You don't make a film about Vlad Tepes unless you're going to revel in that sort of thing. I immediately want to say that you can't even make him sympathetic, but Bram Stoker's Dracula repainted him as a lovesick lord, so there you go. (He even impaled people -- but they were Turks so no one blinked an eye.) You have to hand it to Summit, though. Whereas most studios find it daring to take on William Wallace or King Leonidas, they're going for the king of all horror and splatter. One frame of this might make up for all those angered by Twilight's bloodlessness.

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]]>Anthony MandlerAnthonyMandlerbrad pittBradPittcharlie hunnamCharlieHunnamfeaturedPlan Bplan b entertainmentPlanBPlanBEntertainmentsummitSummit EntertainmentSummitEntertainmentVladVlad the ImpalerVladTheImpalerElisabeth RappeMon, 07 Dec 2009 09:45:00 ESTWho Will Direct Brad Pitt in 'Moneyball'?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/06/who-will-direct-brad-pitt-in-moneyball/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/06/who-will-direct-brad-pitt-in-moneyball/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/06/who-will-direct-brad-pitt-in-moneyball/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Brad PittIt's the ninth inning, two outs and the bases are loaded. The famous starting pitcher has been sent to the showers. Brad Pitt is the catcher and is waiting on the mound with the manager, who is calling for the ace reliever to save the game. And his name is Bennett Miller.

Steven Soderbergh was three days from the start of filming on true-life underdog baseball flick Moneyball when he was unexpectedly yanked from the director's chair by Columbia Pictures head honcho Amy Pascal. She didn't like the latest script revisions, so Aaron Sorkin was hired to make sure Moneyball takes a more mainstream, less documentary approach than what Soderbergh evidently had in mind. To complete the task, Variety reports that Columbia is now ready to put the ball in the hands of experienced mainstream director Bennett Miller ... whoops, that's not right.

Miller may not be well-known, but he directed the critically-acclaimed, true-life Capote four years ago, so maybe the studio feels that he has an affinity for the genre. Philip Seymour Hoffman won an Academy Award for his performance in that film, and Miller was nominated, so, again, that speaks to his ability to work with actors. Capote was a very good picture, in part because Miller took a measured, low-key approach. Will that work with Moneyball? In the best of all possible worlds for Columbia, Moneyball, based on a non-fiction sports book by Michael Lewis, will follow the audience-pleasing, financial successful path of another movie based on a non-fiction sports book by Michael Lewis: The Blind Side.

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]]>bennett millerBennettMillerbrad pittBradPittmichael lewisMichaelLewismoneyballsteven soderberghStevenSoderberghthe blind sideTheBlindSidePeter MartinSun, 06 Dec 2009 11:05:00 ESTVillains We Love: John Doe in 'Se7en'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/16/villains-we-love-john-doe-se7en/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/16/villains-we-love-john-doe-se7en/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/16/villains-we-love-john-doe-se7en/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



I'll always remember David Fincher's Se7en for a few different reasons (I even had to write an essay once about the opening credits) but the number one reason this film sticks in my brain is John Doe. Now usually when it comes to on-screen villains, you tend to remember the big personalities. In the words of Buffy, "strait up, black hat, tied to the train tracks, soon my electro-ray will destroy Metropolis," types. But as scary as the big bad wolf can be, sometimes the evil you never see coming is the one that becomes the stuff of nightmares.

In Fincher's thriller about a serial killer with a penchant for Dante and the wrath of god, we don't even get to see the bad guy until about half way through the movie. But when Doe (played to perfection by Kevin Spacey) calmly walks into the police station to hand himself over, you know that this is not your run of the mill psycho. Recently I took a look at some movie villains that manage to win you over with a little charm and charisma, and Doe definitely isn't one of those guys. He's the kind of guy you would cross the street to avoid, but only if you got to know him -- and that's what makes him scary, he is completely average. Instead of letting the audience get used to the idea of him, we only see his handiwork (as gruesome as it may be), and just like Mills (Brad Pitt) and Somerset (Morgan Freeman), we are just witnesses to the aftermath.

After the jump; Why Doe still scares the crap out of me, and his horrible plan is made complete...

Continue reading Villains We Love: John Doe in 'Se7en'

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]]>brad pittBradPittDavid FincherDavidFincherKevin SpaceyKevinSpaceyMorgan FreemanMorganFreemanse7ensevenvillainsvillains09VillainsWeLoveJessica BarnesFri, 16 Oct 2009 15:45:00 ESTTerrence Malick's 'Tree of Life' Won't Make 2009http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/terrence-malicks-tree-of-life-wont-make-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/terrence-malicks-tree-of-life-wont-make-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/terrence-malicks-tree-of-life-wont-make-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Adjust your calenders, and don't hold your breath for Terrence Malick. (If you ever hold your breath for Malick, that is. His latest opus, The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn,was given a tentative release date of December 25, 2009. But it won't be making that date, according to Apparition Films' Bob Berney. Thompson on Hollywood caught up with Berney, who said the date was "wishful" thinking, and that the film will not be released in 2009.

Why the delay? If you know Malick at all, you know the answer to that. The film is not yet finished. The Tree of Life has already been a 30-year journey for Malick, and another year (or two, or three) won't make any difference to the notoriously meticulous director. No one has even seen the film, or knows what form its final cut will take. All that's really known about the movie is that it's a family drama that spans the 1950s and deals with the loss of innocence.

Apparition Films remains optimistic that you'll see the film in 2010. It won't make Sundance, but it's likely to make Cannes. (That is the film festival that belongs to Pitt and Angelina Jolie, so fate would dictate that's where it would premiere!) But even that is up in the air, as Berney admits he has no idea when the film will be finished, or when it will be released.

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]]>Apparition FilmsApparitionFilmsBob BerneyBobBerneyBrad PittBradPittSean PennSeanPennterrence malickTerrenceMalickThe Tree of LifeTheTreeOfLifeElisabeth RappeThu, 15 Oct 2009 18:15:00 ESTReal-Life Romances On The Big Screenhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/real-life-romances-on-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/real-life-romances-on-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/real-life-romances-on-the-big-screen/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,



It's not that strange for two people who work together to fall in love, but it does seem to happen an awful lot in Hollywood (although to be fair, most of us don't spend our days rolling around half-naked with our co-workers). So even though it might be easy to fall in love at work, it isn't as easy for a couple to stay in love once they're spending every waking moment together -- and the latest celebrity couple who will put my theory to the test is Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer (better known as Sookie and Vampire Bill) from HBO's True Blood. The two fell in love (and got engaged) while working on the vampire soap, and now they're heading back to work together in the thriller, Open House.

According to IMDB, the story will center on a couple whose marriage is on the rocks, and are trying to offload their palatial home during a weekend 'open house'. But, things start to get a little weird when it turns out one of the potential buyers never left. The film was written by Paquin's brother Andrew (who will be making his directorial debut), and the cast will include Tricia Helfer (BSG), Rachel Blanchard (Spread), and Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker) in unspecified roles while the True Blood stars will play the married couple.

Moyer and Paquin aren't the first real-life couple who like to work together, and over the years plenty of Hollywood power couples have tried and failed to translate that relationship onto the big screen. After the jump: some other famous real-life couples on the big screen...

Continue reading Real-Life Romances On The Big Screen

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]]>anna paquinAnnaPaquinben affleckBenAffleckcouplesjennifer lopezJenniferLopezLauren BacallLaurenBacallNicole KidmanNicoleKidmanOpen HouseOpenHouseStephen MoyerStephenMoyerTom CruiseTomCruisetricia helferTriciaHelfertrue bloodTrueBloodJessica BarnesThu, 15 Oct 2009 17:32:00 ESTBrad Pitt Might Be Villainous Moriarty in 'Sherlock' Sequelhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/22/brad-pitt-moriarty-in-sherlock-holmes-sequel/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/22/brad-pitt-moriarty-in-sherlock-holmes-sequel/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/22/brad-pitt-moriarty-in-sherlock-holmes-sequel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Earlier this summer, reshoot rumors were thick around Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. One of the more believable ones was that Brad Pitt was stepping in to make an appearance as Moriarty, though it was clouded in so much "Pitt must save Ritchie!" hyperbole that it was almost impossible to believe. As always, there seems to have been some truth to the tabloid rumors, because The Hollywood Reporter says Warner Bros is already prepping more Holmes, and Pitt is in talks to play the detective's legendary adversary, Moriarty.

While neither Ritchie, Pitt, or producer Joel Silver will comment on whether Pitt already makes a shadowy appearance in the upcoming film. Those who have read the script say that Moriarty does appear, but is all mysterious and silhouetted, and it's impossible to see who he really is.

As Pitt debates whether or not he wants to pit brainpower and martial arts against the elementary Robert Downey Jr., the studio has brought on Kieran and Michele Mulroney, the team behind their Justice League: Mortal project to pen the script. Though nothing is official yet, THR notes "much of the talent," notably Downey, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, and Ritchie are expected to return. (Mark Strong isn't mentioned. Spoiler or no surprise?) It's worth noting that if Pitt signs on and the line-up remains as is, there's only one native Brit in the entire cast of this very English classic.



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]]>Brad PittBradPittGuy RitchieGuyRitchieJoel SilverJoelSilverJude LawJudeLawMark StrongMarkStrongMoriartyRachel McAdamsRachelMcadamsrobert downey jr.RobertDowneyJr.Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes sequelSherlockHolmesSherlockHolmesSequelWarner BrosWarnerBrosElisabeth RappeTue, 22 Sep 2009 10:03:00 EST'Inglourious Basterds' is Tarantino's Top Earner - Because of Twitter?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/21/inglourious-basterds-is-tarantinos-top-earner-because-of-tw/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/21/inglourious-basterds-is-tarantinos-top-earner-because-of-tw/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/21/inglourious-basterds-is-tarantinos-top-earner-because-of-tw/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In what could be read as a big "nyah, told you so" press release, The Weinstein Company would like you all to know that Inglourious Basterds has not only grossed over $108M* in North America but has now out-earned Pulp Fiction, which was previously Tarantino's biggest money-maker to date.

But what's strange is that TWC is giving some of the credit to "an innovative marketing plan. The film was the first to make use of Twitter and other social networking sites in such a direct fashion, even involving Twitter in the film's LA premiere," according to the press release.

Harvey Weinstein is even quoted as saying, "It was great working with Biz Stone at Twitter on Inglourious. It took the campaign to another level."

Okay, what have I missed? How was the Inglourious campaign different from any other of the studios' use of Twitter or Facebook to promote movies through links, contests, and meet-ups? I don't even recall seeing anything on Twitter about it, other than the normal studios using Twitter to cross-pollinate coverage.

Continue reading 'Inglourious Basterds' is Tarantino's Top Earner - Because of Twitter?

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]]>Brad PittBradPittChristoph WaltzChristophWaltzDistrict 9District9Inglourious BasterdsMelanie LaurentMelanieLaurentMoonQuentin TarantinoQuentinTarantinoThe Weinstein CompanyTheWeinsteinCompanyTwitterJenni MillerMon, 21 Sep 2009 17:18:00 ESTDying to Know All the 'Basterds' Movie-Geek References?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/30/where-did-all-those-basterds-come-from/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/30/where-did-all-those-basterds-come-from/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/30/where-did-all-those-basterds-come-from/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I always trust that there are far more references crammed into a Tarantino film than I could ever acknowledge, and the extra wink-wink workings of Inglourious Basterds made that all but a guarantee. Luckily, the "video store nerds" (their words) over at Seattle's Scarecrow Video not only have their own extensive and ongoing catalog of films that are either referenced or given homage in Basterds, or are just fitting companions, but they've all been placed in their own section in the store, which just really makes me more jealous of the locals than anything, seeing as all the independent video joints in my own neck of the woods have either gone belly-up or have scaled back their selections.

(Really, it's a shame. Netflix may be convenient, but it will never have that personal touch -- a note that Scarecrow's lengthy list happens to conclude on.)

Do you guys and girls agree with like-minded recommendations like Black Book? (I do.) Is there anything you think is missing? (Comment away, here or there.) And more than anything, what one film do you have a hankering to see, or see again, in the wake of QT's latest?

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]]>black bookBlackBookinglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoscarecrow videoScarecrowVideoWilliam GossSun, 30 Aug 2009 17:02:00 ESTInterview: Quentin Tarantinohttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/21/interview-quentin-tarantino/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/21/interview-quentin-tarantino/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/21/interview-quentin-tarantino/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Like the rest of the entries in Quentin Tarantino's eclectic filmography, Inglourious Basterds is a pastiche of different influences combined in some kind of cinematic bouillebaise, and somehow made original in that unholy union. Appropriately, the film also came together in disparate parts over several years, which is why Basterds is as much a deconstruction of genre conventions as it is a rousing tale right out of the same war-torn landscape as classics past and present. According to Tarantino, however, making the film wasn't merely an assembly of ideas, but a bit of movie mountain-climbing that was essential for him to see what's on the other side.

Cinematical recently sat down with Tarantino for a roundtable interview at the film's press day, where he discussed the process of giving birth to Basterds. In addition to discussing the general dynamics of his creative process, Tarantino talked about what war movie moments he did and didn't want in the film, and examined the way in which even doing interviews allows him to look at his own work differently. Cinematical's questions are noted.

Was this movie worth the wait for you, taking the time over so many years to develop it into what it became?

Continue reading Interview: Quentin Tarantino

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]]>brad pitteli rothEliRothgrindhouseinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdskill billKillBillquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoTodd GilchristFri, 21 Aug 2009 21:02:00 ESTReview: Inglourious Basterdshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/review-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/review-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/review-inglourious-basterds/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Starting with a gobsmacked VHS screening of Reservoir Dogs way back in '92, I've seen every Quentin Tarantino movie dozens upon dozens of times, but Inglourious Basterds is the first I will have seen only once before writing about it. Like the absolute best entries cinema history has to offer, his work demands repeat viewing, as much to catch all the in-jokes, references and homages as to see their cumulative, strikingly original impact. All of which is why I can only try to sufficiently deconstruct, classify and characterize Tarantino's latest, a wartime opus whose shortcomings upon first viewing are as immediately recognizable as the fact they will after many more of them prove to be virtues, ultimately creating a singular tribute to WWII movies done in the writer-director's signature, genre-bending style.

While the star of the film is really the story, there are three characters who cement together Inglourious Basterds' unwieldy but surprisingly even-weighted chapters. First, there's Colonel Landa (Christoph Waltz), a Nazi officer who earned the nickname "the Jew hunter" thanks to his indefatigable, shoe-leather-and-shark's-grin persistence. Next, there's Shoshanna (Melanie Laurent), one of Landa's few targets who escaped, who lives under an assumed name and manages a French cinema. And then there's Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), an American soldier who recruits a rabid team of Jews to hunt down Nazis and strike fear with their exploits.

Continue reading Review: Inglourious Basterds

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]]>brad pittBradPittchristoph waltzChristophWaltzinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsmelanie laurentMelanieLaurentquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoTodd GilchristThu, 20 Aug 2009 20:02:00 ESTSurprise! 'Basterds' Has Kick-Ass Chickshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/surprise-basterds-has-kick-ass-chicks/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/surprise-basterds-has-kick-ass-chicks/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/surprise-basterds-has-kick-ass-chicks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Melanie LaurentI was on Twitter the other day -- my favorite time waster -- and noticed an interesting question from Matt Dentler of Cinetic Media: "Will women pay to see Inglourious Basterds this weekend? No, seriously, I'm asking: are you, or do you know, a woman who will?" I replied that I'd paid to watch the movie at Cinemapocalypse, and would probably pay again to see it with my husband. Matt then told me the Alamo event didn't count -- he didn't quite explain why, but I think the point is that women who go to all-night movie marathons probably do not fit the traditional female moviegoer stereotype.

Anyway, my reply to Matt generated some retweets and a short, interesting discussion: "I wish the ads conveyed that it [Basterds] has strong female characters." "You nailed it," he replied, and I understood what he meant. He found the trailers misleading -- rightfully so.

Continue reading Surprise! 'Basterds' Has Kick-Ass Chicks

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]]>diane krugerDianeKrugeringlouriousbasterdsmelanie laurentMelanieLaurentJette KernionThu, 20 Aug 2009 17:02:00 ESTBlank Walls Begone! New Posters A-Go-Go From Alamo & Mondohttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/blank-walls-begone-new-posters-a-go-go-from-alamo-and-mondo/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/blank-walls-begone-new-posters-a-go-go-from-alamo-and-mondo/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/20/blank-walls-begone-new-posters-a-go-go-from-alamo-and-mondo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In the midst of some domestic re-shuffling, I'm finally looking to adorn the walls of my humble abode with the posters that I've stock-piled in the corners of my closet for far too long. The arrival of Mondo Tees' own Royal Tenenbaums print has been partially responsible for this renewed interest, and now that they have some new posters for sale, well... my wallet rues the day that I stumbled across their site.

First up is a series of Inglourious Basterds prints to tie in to last weekend's Cinemapocalypse event (which I'll let Jette fill you in on), with one design from Mondo staple Tyler Stout -- itself offered in two versions It seems that these have already sold out! -- and another from Print Mafia, showcasing the latest in Hitler target fashion.

Capping things off would be the Silent Giants' take on The Dirty Dozen, and you can find all of those right about here. Just make sure that you have the space for 'em. And the poster frames.

See some of our favorites below ...

Gallery: Mondotees Movie Posters

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]]>alamo drafthouseAlamoDrafthouseinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsmondo teesMondoTeesthe dirty dozenthe royal tenenbaumsTheDirtyDozenTheRoyalTenenbaumsWilliam GossThu, 20 Aug 2009 13:15:00 ESTA Graphic Preview Of 'Inglourious Basterds'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/14/a-graphic-preview-of-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/14/a-graphic-preview-of-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/14/a-graphic-preview-of-inglourious-basterds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If I know Cinematical readers, I know you'd like an early taste of Inglourious Basterds, even if you had to read it and are you in luck today! Quentin Tarantino handed Playboy Magazine a Nazi killing scene, and the picture-friendly magazine handed it to R.M. Guera. The result is six pages, and only six, of a Basterds graphic novel. Unfortunately, the flash player Playboy housed it in is really clunky, and would be impossible to navigate beyond six pages.

To those of you who read the script, this won't be anything new. If you're like me and know nothing of the film beyond trailers, tv spots, and the joyful whoops of your friends on Twitter, then this will be fresh and unusual. It will also be a little nightmarish because dang, could Guera have made Eli Roth and Brad Pitt any more scary looking?

If you want to see the film unspoiled, avoid it, but if you want to see just where that scene of Roth, his baseball hat, and a Nazi's skull originates and leads to, read on. It's fun stuff, and makes me wish Tarantino would borrow a page from Joss Whedon, and do a few comic books that run with all his intertwined characters and Red Apple cigarettes. While I certainly don't want an origin story for Stuntman Mike or Bill, we might finally get all those side stories or leaps into the future he constantly teases us about.

[via The Beat]

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]]>Brad PittBradPittEli RothEliRothinglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsPlayboy MagazinePlayboyMagazinequentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoR.M. GueraR.m.GueraThe Weinstein CompanyTheWeinsteinCompanyElisabeth RappeFri, 14 Aug 2009 20:03:00 ESTCinematical Seven: Great Modern Comedy Teamshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/30/cinematical-seven-great-modern-comedy-teams/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/30/cinematical-seven-great-modern-comedy-teams/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/30/cinematical-seven-great-modern-comedy-teams/#commentsFiled under: , ,



So many comedians don't really play well with others. They're mostly scene-stealers with little regard for anyone who gets in their way. So it's always a treat to find some that click together. If they click, their connection usually passes on to the audience. Two mega-comedians, Adam Sandler & Seth Rogen, team up for the first time in this week's Funny People. It remains to be seen just what kind of chemistry they'll have, or if it deserves to be repeated, but in any case, it's a good time to revisit some of cinema's greatest comedy team-ups. [Note: I thought I would stay modern and therefore exclude Martin & Lewis, Laurel & Hardy, Fields & West, Abbott & Costello, Hepburn & Grant, Hepburn & Tracy, etc. Just because it goes without saying.]

1. Simon Pegg & Nick Frost
They're friends in real life and it shows in their films Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). Pegg gets to do all the heroic stuff, and the romantic stuff, and he's great at it; his character arc and his performance in Shaun of the Dead are remarkably rich and subtle. But Frost has the hard job. He must balance his persona of annoying slacker with lovable sidekick, throwing in just a tiny hint of homoerotic attachment to his friend. This is an A+ in chemistry.


Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Great Modern Comedy Teams

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]]>charles grodinCharlesGrodincinematicaldan aykroydDanAykroyddiane keatonDianeKeatonfilmmovienick frostNickFrostrobert de niroRobertDeNirosimon peggSimonPeggtommy lee jonesTommyLeeJoneswill ferrellwill smithWillFerrellWillSmithwoody allenWoodyAllenzooey deschanelZooeyDeschanelJeffrey M. AndersonThu, 30 Jul 2009 22:02:00 ESTDirectors We Love: Steven Soderberghhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/26/directors-we-love-steven-soderbergh/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/26/directors-we-love-steven-soderbergh/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/26/directors-we-love-steven-soderbergh/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Steven SoderberghHe is, basically, the antithesis of a Comic-Con filmmaker, more interested in infusing celluloid with his personal vision than with dazzling moviegoers through visual effects. Not that director Steven Soderbergh is adverse to using advanced technology, or sprinkling computerized wizardry upon the narrative like fairy dust, or including breathless action sequences in his films. Quite to the contrary. Ocean's Thirteen, for example, fairly bursts with playful touches of meta-reality, from handwritten monetary sums dancing around a wide shot of unexpected casino winners to 60s-style split-screen montages, and contains a breathless series of escapades in which no one pulls a gun -- it's all talk.

Thus, it was distressing to hear that Soderbergh spoke with an "air of tired resignation" in an telephone conversation with The Guardian UK a while back. He said he could "see the end" of his career, with just "three or four years worth of stuff" that he hopes to be able to do, and then he "may just disappear." He now wishes he hadn't made the subtle and powerful Che; the production was so intense that he and everyone else "got scarred ... a little bit."

It's understandable that the physical demands of making Che -- the equivalent of two feature-length films -- on a 76-day schedule for the comparatively small sum of $58 million would exhaust anybody. And it may be that the last-minute script disagreements that resulted in his losing the Moneyball baseball flick gig with Brad Pitt were laying him low as well. Some people are angry at him for indulging himself and ignoring the audience, somehow squandering opportunities for other directors to make "smart movies for adults."

Continue reading Directors We Love: Steven Soderbergh

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]]>brad pittBradPittfeaturedmoneyballoceans thirteenOceansThirteensteven soderberghStevenSoderberghPeter MartinSun, 26 Jul 2009 21:02:00 EST'Moneyball' Still Rolling at Sony, Aaron Sorkin Up to Bathttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/11/moneyball-still-rolling-at-sony-aaron-sorkin-up-to-bat/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/11/moneyball-still-rolling-at-sony-aaron-sorkin-up-to-bat/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/11/moneyball-still-rolling-at-sony-aaron-sorkin-up-to-bat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

If you were absolutely heartbroken at the loss of Sony's Moneyball, cheer up! It's still alive and swinging. Variety reports that the project has been revived with some new talent, though now it's in desperate need of a new director.

The good news is that the man in charge of repairing it all is none other than Aaron Sorkin, who is riding high at Sony thanks to The Social Nework. Everyone's favorite screenwriter is taking a crack at Steve Zaillian's original script, and is expected to have it finished by August. Sorkin is steering it back to the film the studio wanted all along: a nice sports film that focuses on Billy Beane, the Oakland A's, underdogs, and statistics. It's also retained the services of Brad Pitt, who is still attached to play Beane.

The bad but not altogether unexpected news is that Steven Soderbergh is off the project. His draft took a more documentary approach that Sony was certain would fail with moviegoers. I guess we'll never know, but I can't really blame Sony for being afraid of an approach that used an animated Bill James character. At least the director has a million other projects he can turn to for comfort. Will it be Making Jack Falcone? Liberace? Cleo? None of the above and out of nowhere? Very possibly.

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]]>aaron sorkinAaronSorkinbilly beaneBillyBeanebrad pittBradPittMoneyballoakland athleticsOaklandAthleticssteve zailliansteven soderberghStevenSoderberghSteveZaillianElisabeth RappeSat, 11 Jul 2009 09:02:00 ESTMixed 'Basterd' Messages From Weinstein?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/mixed-basterd-messages-from-weinstein/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/mixed-basterd-messages-from-weinstein/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/mixed-basterd-messages-from-weinstein/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I've been keeping my eye on this whole Inglourious Basterds mishegoss, because I'm a fan of Tarantino's, and of Nazi movies, and of movies where Nazis are killed in spectacularly violent ways, even though the atrociously spelled title is enough to give a copy editor or any responsible writer an aneurysm.

When I read that Harvey Weinstein spectacularly dissed the movie in an interview with GQ, I was a little confused. According to WENN, Weinstein told GQ, "It isn't funny; it isn't exciting; it isn't a realistic war movie, yet neither is it an entertaining genre spoof or a clever counterfactual wartime yarn. It isn't emotionally involving or deliciously ironic or a brilliant tissue of trash-pop references. Nothing like that. Brad Pitt gives the worst performance of his life, with a permanent smirk as if he's had the left side of his jaw injected with cement, and which he must uncomfortably maintain for long scenes on camera without dialogue."

Continue reading Mixed 'Basterd' Messages From Weinstein?

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]]>brad pittBradPittharvey weinsteinHarveyWeinsteinInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoJenni MillerWed, 08 Jul 2009 15:02:00 ESTFrank Darabont Will Die To Make 'Fahrenheit 451'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/frank-darabont-will-die-to-make-fahrenheit-451/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/frank-darabont-will-die-to-make-fahrenheit-451/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/frank-darabont-will-die-to-make-fahrenheit-451/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A new adaptation (I refuse to use the word remake here) of Fahrenheit 451 has been in the works for ten years now. I was very excited by the news that Mel Gibson was planning it as a Braveheart follow-up, as it seemed like that would mark a new and serious phase of his directing career. I wish that was something I could have been right about.

Frank Darabont was the next one to take it on, and he's been attached to it since 2001, rewriting Terry Hayes' script and being delayed by everything from Indiana Jones IV, Mission Impossible III, The Mist, and Law Abiding Citizen. SciFi Wire caught up with Darabont at the Saturn Awards, and the director / writer declared that it was really time to get on with it already ... and that it might actually get underway this time, depending on whether or not the Big Name Actor he wants signs on.

"Fahrenheit is the thing I'm trying to get up next, which is casting-dependent, so it's one of those. I'm out to somebody at the moment, fingers crossed, because, boy, do I want to make that movie. I'm not giving up. I'll die in the traces before I don't make that movie ... It's not one of those movies that are vastly expensive by any contemporary standard, but money is still money, and it's of a price that requires somebody that will justify that investment. This is definitely going to be more than The Mist, so those other considerations do come into play."

You can go crazy wondering just who that Big Actor who can pull in the money and box office might be. Could it be someone that rumors have long attached, like Tom Hanks (Darabont's pick for years), Brad Pitt, or Tom Cruise? Or could we be looking at someone newly bankable, like Johnny Depp?

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]]>Brad PittBradPittfahrenheit 451fahrenheit451Frank DarabontFrankDarabontJohnny DeppJohnnyDeppMel GibsonMelGibsonTom CruiseTom HanksTomCruiseTomHanksWarner BrosWarnerBrosElisabeth RappeSun, 28 Jun 2009 11:02:00 ESTColumbia Postpones Soderbergh's 'Moneyball'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/21/columbia-postpones-soderberghs-moneyball/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/21/columbia-postpones-soderberghs-moneyball/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/21/columbia-postpones-soderberghs-moneyball/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You know things are bad in Hollywood when a production gets shut down just three days before it's supposed to start filming -- and when the production in question stars Brad Pitt and is directed by Steven Soderbergh. The last three movies those guys made together all had the word Ocean's in the title. What gives?

Well, according to Variety, Columbia Pictures chair Amy Pascal found the latest script revisions for Moneyball so different from what she'd originally greenlighted that she pulled the plug on Friday. Filming was supposed to start in Phoenix on Monday. This is the equivalent of canceling a flight while the plane is accelerating down the runway. Those script revisions must have really been something. Maybe Soderbergh had decided to turn it into a four-hour biography of Pancho Villa.

Moneyball is based on a nonfiction book that uses the 2002 Oakland A's baseball team as a case study for examining how less wealthy teams can compete with richer ones (like the Yankees) by hiring players whose statistics in certain areas -- but not the ones usually considered, like batting averages and RBIs -- indicate they'll perform well. Yes, it's a book about statistics. You can see why a movie would be a hard sell to begin with. But the book was a bestseller, appealing to baseball fans (who tend to love statistics) and readers who enjoy a good underdog story. Pitt was to play A's manager Billy Beane, whose theories about which players would be most valuable went against conventional wisdom but were ultimately vindicated.

Continue reading Columbia Postpones Soderbergh's 'Moneyball'

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]]>brad pittBradPittmoneyballsteven soderberghStevenSoderberghEric D. SniderSun, 21 Jun 2009 20:02:00 ESTQuentin Tarantino Will Tweak 'Inglourious Basterds'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/26/quentin-tarantino-will-tweak-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/26/quentin-tarantino-will-tweak-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/26/quentin-tarantino-will-tweak-inglourious-basterds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The version of Inglourious Basterds that played to mixed reviews at Cannes won't be the version we see, for better or for worse. Quentin Tarantino is heading back into the editing bay next month, and giving the film an extra scene or two. (And nothing is harder to write about than a film you and the rest of the moviegoing world hasn't even seen, so bear with me here.)

The director admitted to Variety's Anne Thompson that he felt overfiddling had hurt Death Proof, so he deliberately put Basterds on a Cannes deadline -- but it was one that was so tight that he had to rush "a dripping-wet print" to the festival. As a result, Basterds was 19 minutes less than he needed to retain final cut.

So, he's adding footage back in. One is a scene that he filmed, but hasn't yet assembled that introduces the characters of Michael Fassbender and Diane Kruger's more thoroughly. For those of us who didn't get to see the film at its Cannes debut, that means little. But if you read the script, it comes before the La Louisiane sequence. However, if you're hoping to see Maggie Chung as Madame Mimieux, you'll be disappointed. The scenes between Mimieux and Melanie Laurent's Shoshanna Dreyfuss won't be restored as Tarantino feels they don't add to the narrative.

But the final edit might rest on audience approval. Tarantino's going to be doing some test screenings "outside of California" to see how the film plays to the people, and will fine tune it from there -- but hopefully not to the point of Death Proof fiddling ...

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]]>Cannes 2009Cannes2009featuredinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoElisabeth RappeTue, 26 May 2009 10:02:00 EST