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/Review: Women in Troublehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/14/women-in-trouble-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/14/women-in-trouble-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/14/women-in-trouble-review/#commentsFiled under: ,


By Jette Kernion (reprint from 3/17/09 -- SXSW Film Festival)

I'm wary of movies that try to be instant cult/camp classics, with intentionally overdone dialogue and outrageous costumes and actors who are metaphorically winking or even non-metaphorically mugging for the camera. When the characters are in on the joke, it isn't all that funny. And when I learned that the writer-director of Women in Trouble also co-wrote Snakes on a Plane, I grew even more skeptical. But the actresses who populate Women in Trouble tend to play it straight, even when they're wearing assless spandex pants or smoking invisible cigarettes, and that's what keeps this film fun instead of tiresome.

Women in Trouble has a multi-story, anthology-like structure. Writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez said before the SXSW screening that he originally had one ten-page sequence that he wanted to shoot, then thought it might be easy to shoot several of them, all with different actresses, to make a good movie quickly. Apparently it wasn't all that easy, but the result is a large cast of mostly actresses playing a variety of the traditional exploitation "women in trouble." These include porn stars, tag-team hookers (one in a Catholic school uniform, natch), stewardesses (they're not flight attendants when we're poking fun at the exploitation genre), unmarried-and-pregnant women, and a very understanding masseuse.

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]]>carla guginoCarlaGuginoemmanuelle chriquiEmmanuelleChriquimarley sheltonMarleySheltonreviewwomen in troubleWomenInTroubleCinematical staffSat, 14 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTReview: Fantastic Mr. Foxhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/fantastic-mr-fox-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/fantastic-mr-fox-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/fantastic-mr-fox-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


By Todd Gilchrist (reprint from 11/3/09 -- AFI Film Festival)

It's not hard to like any movie that uses the Beach Boys' music, but Wes Anderson makes it especially easy. As Hollywood's foremost purveyor of hipster drama, his pedigree as a reliable selector of appropriately wistful, poignant and all-around unforgettable songs is virtually unrivaled, but Fantastic Mr. Fox exceeds even the work of his earlier films, using "Heroes and Villains," and later, "I Get Around" as populist punctuation that manages to be both specifically relevant and substantively rousing.

As an animated opus, the film is by necessity his most controlled to date, a painstakingly-designed dollhouse where he no longer controls just the music, sets, and costumes, but the performers themselves. Ironically, however, it feels like his loosest as well - a gloriously unwieldy comedy of manners submerged in the minutiae of Anderson's madcap creativity. All of which makes Fantastic Mr. Fox a celebration both of its stop-motion medium and Anderson's aesthetic, while still managing to fully document the spectacular fun in original author Roald Dahl's daffy, distinctive imagination.

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]]>fantastic mr foxFantasticMrFoxgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyreviewwes andersonWesAndersonCinematical staffFri, 13 Nov 2009 18:02:00 ESTReview: Pirate Radiohttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/pirate-radio-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/pirate-radio-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/pirate-radio-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

'Pirate Radio' (Focus Features)

Tethered to reality by only a slender thread, Pirate Radio quickly cuts loose and floats off into its own imaginary layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where only good-hearted, pleasant-thinking, die-hard romantics can survive. Welcome home, Richard Curtis, where have you been?

Writer/director Curtis rose to fame on the basis of his screenplay for Four Weddings and a Funeral, featuring an ensemble of quirky yet appealing men and women chasing love and happiness, followed, notably, by his script for Notting Hill, but he's been writing off-kilter comedy sketches and episodic television for many years. Pirate Radio proves that his gift for writing witty one-liners and creating funny situations remains intact. His skills as a film director and shaper of material are a little more fuzzy and undefined, however.

As with Love, Actually, his previous directorial effort, Pirate Radio (AKA The Boat That Rocked) is filled with episodes that feel randomly assembled, knit together by proximity and happenstance more than narrative necessity. For all the laughter and positive feelings that Pirate Radio generates, it's a lightweight treatment of a potentially heavyweight subject.

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]]>bill nighyBillNighykenneth branaghKennethBranaghphilip seymour hoffmanPhilipSeymourHoffmanpirate radioPirateRadiorhys ifansRhysIfansrichard curtisRichardCurtistom sturridgeTomSturridgePeter MartinFri, 13 Nov 2009 13:33:00 ESTLoosening Up More Uptight Women w/ 'Leap Year'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/leap-year-movie-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/leap-year-movie-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/leap-year-movie-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Who started the whole cliche where an uptight American woman hits Ireland and finds out how to loosen up by a sexy, foreign man? There's something in the water over there in Hollywood's version of the country that makes every bloody romantic comedy feature this premise. It's not as bad as something like The Ugly Truth, that's for sure, but it pretty darned blatant.

Following in the footsteps of Matchmaker, P.S. I Love You, and other romantic fare, MSN has debuted a trailer for Leap Year (check it out after the jump), the film where Matthew Goode gets to recover from the trauma of losing his new wife to a female florist (Imagine Me and You), and steal a desperate Amy Adams from the likes of Adam Scott. Now granted, she is on her way to Dublin and meets the man in Wales, but they're still heading to the land of shamrocks.

I guess there's just a strong Irish gene that burrows deep within a man and lets him see when a self-absorbed foreign woman will be the girl of his dreams, allowing him to be the romantic savior showing her untapped inner potential and true romance and security. But why, exactly, is Anand Tucker -- who brought us Hilary and Jackie, Shopgirl, And When Did You Last See Your Father?, and Red Riding: 1983 -- directing this schlock?

Check it out, if you dare, after the jump, and beware: it shows a lot. Then again, this does look like a typical romcom, so we already know how it turns out, right?

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]]>Adam ScottAdamScottAmy AdamsAmyAdamsAnand TuckerAnandTuckerCinematicalLeap YearLeapYearMatthew GoodeMatthewGoodeMonika BartyzelFri, 13 Nov 2009 09:48:00 EST'Buffy' Scribe Will Write 'Fright Night' Remake!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/fright-night-remake-writer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/fright-night-remake-writer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/fright-night-remake-writer/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Fright Night remake is back on. Back in January, we learned that the project had been halted when they couldn't come up with a good script. Ten months later, The Hollywood Reporter posts that Marti Noxon (executive producer and writer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has been hired to rewrite the horror comedy, trading one set of vamps for another.

While Joss Whedon is facing cancellation, Marti Noxon is going strong. The vampire slayer marked Noxon's big break in the biz, and since helping run the show, she's had her hand in a slew of series from Prison Break to Mad Men. This will be her first big cinematic gig, her lone movie credit to this point being the 1998 film Just a Little Harmless Sex. But what will it all mean for a redo of Fright Night, where a kid finds out that a vampire lives next door?

Noxon kicked off her Buffy writing penning the "What's My Line" duo, the terrible "Bad Eggs," and the sex that turned Angel evil. From there, most of her writing gigs were mainly toss-off eps, with occasional perks in episodes like "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "The Prom." In other words: I'm not so sure what to make of this, other than the fact that her strongest writing seems to be linked to big interpersonal moments, which do not make for the best vamp comedy. Thoughts?

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]]>CinematicalFright NightFrightNightMarti NoxonMartiNoxonMonika BartyzelThu, 12 Nov 2009 11:16:00 EST'Make-Out with Violence' For Free in L.A.!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/make-out-with-violence-for-free-in-l-a/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/make-out-with-violence-for-free-in-l-a/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/make-out-with-violence-for-free-in-l-a/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Indie movie lovers of the greater Los Angeles area, take note of a wonderful gem from this year's SXSW festival that's coming your way. Make-Out with Violence is an angsty teenage zombie horror comedy that I caught last year at the Oxford Film Festival, and tonight - November 12 - it screens in Los Angeles. For free!

Ok, technically it's screening in Alhambra. But this one-night only engagement will likely be your only chance to see the underappreciated indie film that our own Scott Weinberg called "pretty damn good" - and if I may add my own endorsement, Make-Out with Violence is original and gorgeously shot, a great alternative to mainstream (i.e. made with way more money) films about either teenage life or zombies. The best part? Make-Out with Violence is about both of those things. (It's also got the most attractive zombie hottie of the year, with apologies to Zombieland's Amber Heard.)

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]]>Deagol BrothersDeagolBrothersMake-Out with ViolenceMake-outWithViolenceJen YamatoThu, 12 Nov 2009 09:48:00 ESTTina Fey and Steve Carell's 'Date Night' Has a Trailerhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/date-night-movie-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/date-night-movie-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/date-night-movie-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sometimes there's a down side to being considered a comedic genius. Right now in the world of TV comedy, Tina Fey and Steve Carell are the 'Prom Queen and King', and with all that popularity comes the price of raised expectations. The couples comedy Date Night, starring Fey and Carell as a married couple looking to spice up their romance, was bound to be scrutinized. So now that the first trailer has arrived (via Apple), reactions have been mixed. But I think there's hope for this film, if for no other reason than the fact that Fey and Carell are some of the most talented comedians working right now (although I'm still holding out for Fey to start writing some more movies of her own).

Date Night was directed by Shawn Levy (of Night at The Museum fame) and written by Josh Klausner, who only has a couple of credits as a writer (mainly for Shrek films). But Klausner has also worked with the Farrelly brothers, so he must know his way around a joke, right? I guess that's why I'm willing to give Date Night the benefit of the doubt, because on paper, all the elements are there for a good comedy -- the least of which is a strong supporting cast of funny folks like James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jason Segel, and Kristen Wiig. Maybe I'm grasping at straws, but the film has also yet to be rated, so there's always a chance the funnier bits weren't 'ready for prime time'.

So watch the trailer and tell me what you think. Am I just kidding myself, or is there a chance that Date Night will surprise us all and turn out to be a pretty funny flick?

Watch the trailer after the jump...

Continue reading Tina Fey and Steve Carell's 'Date Night' Has a Trailer

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]]>30 Rock30RockDate NightDateNightJames FrancoJamesFrancoKristen WiiKristenWiiShawn LevyShawnLevysteve carellSteveCarellThe OfficeTheOfficeTina FeyTinaFeytrailerTVJessica BarnesWed, 11 Nov 2009 19:10:00 ESTJason Reitman's Interview Pie Charthttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/jason-reitmans-interview-pie-chart/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/jason-reitmans-interview-pie-chart/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/jason-reitmans-interview-pie-chart/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Jason ReitmanJason Reitman, whose next film Up in the Air comes out on December 4th, posted a very funny image on Twitter recently - a pie chart detailing the different things that people have asked him in recent interviews. The top three were about George Clooney (111 people), the economy (96 people), and his next project (78 people). The fourth is a little more confusing, as it just reads "Real People," so apparently 77 people asked him about real people. Maybe they wanted to know if the people being laid off in the movie were real people? Who's to say what goes through the murky depths of the mind of a journalist?



I humbly ask Jason Reitman to make a pie chart of his answers. Here's what I picture it to look like.

111 people: "Clooney is such a prankster! But he's also a great serious actor. He's the Cary Grant of our times. Sometimes we have moustache contests."

96 people: "The economy sucks. Seriously though, I've never been laid off, but if I had to be laid off, I'd hope George Clooney would do it."

78 people: "My next project will be with George Clooney. Actually, it will be catching up on all the sleep I lost talking to you people and answering the same damn questions over and over again."

In one jpeg, Reitman manages to sum up the exhausting paces that filmmakers, actors, musicians, et al are put through to get their names and faces and projects out there, the laziness of some journalists, and the terror that faces every journalist that wants to be good at what they do and engender an interesting discussion that is hopefully pleasant and/or illuminating (but at the very least not boring) for everyone involved, including the reader.

If you could ask Jason Reitman anything, what would it be?

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]]>george clooneyGeorgeClooneyivan reitmanIvanReitmanjason reitmanJasonReitmantwitterup in the airUpInTheAirJenni MillerWed, 11 Nov 2009 18:35:00 ESTExclusive: 'Wonderful World' Posterhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/wonderful-world-movie-poster/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/wonderful-world-movie-poster/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/wonderful-world-movie-poster/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click on the image below to view full poster

Cinematical has just received the official poster for Matthew Broderick's sharpie-smiled Wonderful World. It's been a good two years since the actor signed on to the project, which was then simply described as a movie that "centers on a depressed, divorced, and unemployed father who finds solace in his Senegalese roommate's sister." That now sounds as telling of the story as saying The Lord of the Rings is about a journey to play a fiery game of ring toss.

The directorial debut of writer Joshua Goldin, this feature also marks a reunion with Broderick, who starred in his 1992 script, Out on a Limb. But this flick sounds like it will be even further out on that limb, making Broderick's stint in Election sound like your Average Joe kinda day:

"A pessimistic pothead struggles with his own cynicism after his Senegalese roommate is stricken ill and an insensitive municipal employee inadvertently exacerbates an already desperate situation. Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) wanted to be a children's folk singer; instead he's become a career proofreader and the world's worst weekend dad. But while Ben's life may be a mess, at least his regular chess games with his roommate Ibou offer some amount of intellectual release. That all changes with Ibou falls mysteriously ill, and his malady is compounded by the indifference of a rude municipal employee. Convinced that his negative worldview has finally been confirmed, Ben channels all of his energy into a frivolous lawsuit against the city before discovering that his misanthropy may be a simple matter of perspective."

Chess, folk singing, Senegalese roomies, proofreading ... I'm getting the funny feeling that there's a lot going on behind that piece of yellow-lined paper, and I'm dying to see it. In one of those VOD-before-theater marketing pushes, Magnolia's Wonderful World will be available on VOD starting December 4, and then have a stint in theaters in the New Year, on January 8.

Check out the full poster in the gallery below.

Gallery: Wonderful World Poster

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]]>CinematicalJoshua GoldinJoshuaGoldinMatthew BroderickMatthewBroderickWonderful WorldWonderfulWorldMonika BartyzelWed, 11 Nov 2009 11:15:00 ESTSee A Little 'Kick-Ass' In This Teaser Trailerhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/see-a-little-kick-ass-in-this-teaser-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/see-a-little-kick-ass-in-this-teaser-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/see-a-little-kick-ass-in-this-teaser-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


The teaser trailer for Kick-Ass has arrived! Having been subjected to so much hype by everyone luckier than me at ComicCon, it's a bit of a let down because there's just not much ass-kicking going on. It's basically an animated version of the poster, introducing you to the characters while showing a little more blood and smacks. But hey, this is just the beginning and I don't expect them to spill all the cool stuff in the first glimpse.

I do like what I see, though. On the surface it looks like a teenage Watchmen but with a lot of emphasis on how fun it is to be a vigilante. There's no awkward geek humor on display. The characters are young comic book fans, but we aren't subjected to any "Ow, it hurts to be an action hero" moments. Instead, it's all about the action and potential for violence. Kick-Ass is confident! He doesn't shirk from being a superhero. In his mind, he's as worthy as Batman, and he's able to take the pain and punches. I like that, and I expected no less from Matthew Vaughn. My favorite remains Hit Girl, though. Her costume is practical, there's nothing creepy or sexual about her (so far), and her knife-flinging is lethal. Plus, she does appear to have Nite Owl's greatest fan as her father. The resemblance goes further than just the poster, and I want to believe we'll leave this theater saying "This makes up for Bangkok Dangerous, Mr. Cage."

The trailer is embedded below the jump, courtesy of MySpace. Kick-Ass hits theaters April 16, 2010.

Continue reading See A Little 'Kick-Ass' In This Teaser Trailer

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]]>ChloeMoretzchristopher mintz-plasseChristopherMintz-plassefeaturedKick-AssKick-Ass teaser trailerKick-assTeaserTrailerLionsgateMark MillarMarkMillarMatthew VaughnMatthewVaughnNicolas CageNicolasCageElisabeth RappeWed, 11 Nov 2009 09:03:00 EST'American Pie' Keeps On Going With the Trailer for 'The Book of Love'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/american-pie-keeps-on-going-with-the-trailer-for-the-book-of/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/american-pie-keeps-on-going-with-the-trailer-for-the-book-of/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/american-pie-keeps-on-going-with-the-trailer-for-the-book-of/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I know the demographic who watches all of the American Pie Presents films is quite narrow, but when I came across the trailer for American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, I had to step back and give them a bit of a golf clap. Who would have ever thought that a little high school sex comedy from 1999 would go on to spawn two theatrical sequels and four straight-to-video titles? Were there any among us who saw Jason Biggs get intimate with an apple pie and thought, "My God, there needs to be seven of these movies"?

Yet here we are with the trailer for The Book of Love, the seventh entrant to the canon of Pie. And in case you're not a die hard fan of the last three films, they were a trip to Band Camp, a lap running The Naked Mile, and a Beta House whose crowning accomplishment was playing a game of rugby against some aggressive midgets. While the makers of those all found various tie-ins to the original films, mainly through the lineage of Stiffler, the biggest thread tying the franchise together has been Eugene Levy, and Book of Love shows no intention of letting him out of his seemingly eternal contract as Jim's Dad.

This time around, the male populace of East Great Falls High have once again stumbled upon the Bible hidden in the school's library, which you'll recall is the sex guide Casey Affleck gifted to the gentlemen of the first film. Only the book gets ruined in a freak accident, causing the amorous youngsters to track down the Bible's original creator in an attempt to recreate all of the sexual secrets contained therein.

Note: as should be expected from a sex comedy, the following trailer is not work place friendly:

Continue reading 'American Pie' Keeps On Going With the Trailer for 'The Book of Love'

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]]>American PieAmerican Pie PresentsAmerican Pie Presents: The Book of LoveAmericanPieAmericanPiePresentsAmericanPiePresents:TheBookOfLoveEugene LevyEugeneLevyThe Book of LoveTheBookOfLovePeter HallTue, 10 Nov 2009 18:02:00 EST'Up in the Air' Songs Pulled from Oscar Racehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/up-in-the-air-songs-pulled-from-oscar-race/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/up-in-the-air-songs-pulled-from-oscar-race/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/up-in-the-air-songs-pulled-from-oscar-race/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Well, it's November, which means the awards contenders are steadily coming out of the woodwork, and just as we have the Academy Awards to look forward to, we also have their fine print to tolerate. The first of this year's disqualifications naturally come from the music end of things, the same category that didn't see fit to honor the tremendous original scores composed for The Dark Knight last year and There Will Be Blood the year before that.

According to Kris Tapley over at In Contention, both "Up in the Air" and "Help Yourself" from Jason Reitman's Up in the Air have been pulled out of the Best Original Song race. The former was written by Kevin Renick before he met Reitman (the song is presented in the film as it was presented to the filmmaker, with homemade introduction and all), not to mention that it comes halfway into the credits when only the first song over them can qualify. (Really, AMPAS?)

And a portion of the latter had existed earlier in Sad Brad Smith's career and thus means the song itself was not created in full for the film. It's an earnest and catchy tune, used prominently in the trailers and well in the film (and now available on iTunes, cough), but it now looks like those are two more slots left to be dominated by Disney's latest...

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]]>academy awardsAcademyAwardsbest original songBestOriginalSonggeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjason reitmanJasonReitmankevin renickKevinRenicksad brad smithSadBradSmithup in the airUpInTheAirWilliam GossMon, 09 Nov 2009 20:45:00 ESTMartin Lawrence & Jamie Foxx Get Into Old-School Cross-Dressinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/martin-lawrence-and-jamie-foxx-get-into-old-school-cross-dressing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/martin-lawrence-and-jamie-foxx-get-into-old-school-cross-dressing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/martin-lawrence-and-jamie-foxx-get-into-old-school-cross-dressing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Get a few chuckles with a skit, and soon it will become a film. If you're a fan of the BET Awards, you should be familiar with Sheneneh and Wanda. The two made up the super-stylishly named bank-robbing team Skank Robbers, a faux trailer parody (after the jump) that aired during the awards, played by Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx respectively. This skit got enough laughs that it wasn't only deemed successful, but also cinematic -- Variety reports that the pair have decided to turn the brief concept into a film, a la Machete.

Sheneneh and Wanda, two characters dreamed up during the comedians' stand-up days, will be "modern-day independent women trying to make it on their own, one bank robbery at a time." The pair have been wanting to star in a movie together for a while, so this is their big shot -- one that Foxx is writing and Screen Gems is fast-tracking. ...This is it?

Granted, I'm not some old-school Sheneneh fan, but what exactly is it about this pair that makes them worthy not only of a feature film, but also being fast-tracked? Hasn't Hollywood already gotten enough comedians cross-dressing? Don't these men have something better to do than ... this? And if now is the time to bring In Living Color to the big screen, oh, the other characters I would pick.

MacGruber, Sheneneh, Wanda ... what skit is next?

Continue reading Martin Lawrence & Jamie Foxx Get Into Old-School Cross-Dressing

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]]>CinematicalJamie FoxxJamieFoxxMartin LawrenceMartinLawrenceSheneneh and WandaShenenehAndWandaSkank RobbersSkankRobbersMonika BartyzelMon, 09 Nov 2009 11:18:00 EST'Ridgemont High' Inspirations Are Now Protective Parentshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/08/ridgemont-high-inspirations-are-now-protective-parents/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/08/ridgemont-high-inspirations-are-now-protective-parents/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/08/ridgemont-high-inspirations-are-now-protective-parents/#commentsFiled under: ,

L to R: 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High,' the book and the movie

Would you want your children to know you were the real-life inspiration for a famous tale of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll? Fast Times at Ridgemont High holds up as a heady brew of authentic teen life in the late 70s / early 80s, mixed with a fine sense of the absurd and served up by an amazing cast. It's definitely a teen sex comedy that DOESN'T suck. The movie's 25th anniversary two years ago inspired plenty of "Where Are They Now" recollections; our own Erik Davis offered his observations on an eye-opening gallery of "then and now" images for the cast.

Before the movie, however, there was the book, and before the book, there were the real-life students of Clairemont High School in San Diego, California. Cameron Crowe, then 22, went undercover at the school in 1979 to research a book on teen life. He'd graduated from another area school in 1972 -- at the age of 15! -- and was busy writing for Rolling Stone (as documented in Almost Famous), so he took a refresher course by soaking in the atmosphere at the school. Recently the class held its 30-year reunion and it turns out that some of those students have become very protective parents, according to a report in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

One graduate won't let his 15-year-old son watch the movie: "We are not going to show it to him until he's in college." The former class president says she finally allowed her daughter, a senior at the school, to read Crowe's book but isn't ready yet to allow her to see the flick, though she admits that it accurately portrayed the sex and drug activity among teens at the time.

Continue reading 'Ridgemont High' Inspirations Are Now Protective Parents

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]]>cameron croweCameronCroweclairemont high schoolClairemontHighSchoolfast times at ridgemont highFastTimesAtRidgemontHighfeaturedphoebe catesPhoebeCatesreal life inspirationsRealLifeInspirationssan diegoSanDiegoPeter MartinSun, 08 Nov 2009 15:02:00 ESTAmy Heckerling Gets Vampy with Krysten Ritterhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/amy-heckerling-gets-vampy-with-krysten-ritter/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/amy-heckerling-gets-vampy-with-krysten-ritter/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/amy-heckerling-gets-vampy-with-krysten-ritter/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I hope you don't hate vampires, because they don't seem to be going anywhere. Now Amy Heckerling, the woman behind Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless, is getting in on the bloodsucking. According to Screen Daily, Parlay Films has grabbed the international rights to an upcoming romantic comedy called Vamps, that Heckerling will write and direct.

"The film will be a modern-day tale of two young female vampires living the good life in New York until love enters the picture and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize their immortality." Krysten Ritter will star as one of the lead vamps, and they're still searching for the other bloodsucker. This marks a big jump from the actress, who has moved from bubbly side gigs on shows like Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars to some cinematic supporting roles, a lead gig in the web series Woke Up Dead, and now her first starring film job.

Perhaps I'm being overly hopeful, but it's time for Heckerling to bring us her next comedy classic, and I'm hoping this is it. There was a 13-year span between Ridgemont and Clueless, and it's been 14 years since Cher found love with Josh, so could this be the next Heckerling extravaganza we won't want to heckle? Or, just another project in an oversaturated market?

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]]>Amy HeckerlingAmyHeckerlingCinematicalKrysten RitterKrystenRitterVampsMonika BartyzelSat, 07 Nov 2009 15:33:00 ESTCheck Out The Real-Life Men Who Stare at Goatshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/check-out-the-real-life-men-who-stare-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/check-out-the-real-life-men-who-stare-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/check-out-the-real-life-men-who-stare-at-goats/#commentsFiled under: , ,

By: John Gholson

I'm not sure why, but Overture Films has chosen to downplay the "based on a true story" aspects of their high-profile new satirical film The Men Who Stare at Goats. The film finds Ewan McGregor as a journalist looking for a story in Iraq who stumbles across a former member (George Clooney) of a special platoon of psychics employed by the U.S. military. While many moments in the film seem outlandish and ridiculous, they become even more jaw-dropping with the knowledge that the film is based on fact.

Author Jon Ronson first explored the topic of remote viewers and psychic super-soldiers in a three-part Channel 4 television documentary, The Crazy Rulers of the World, the first part of which ("The Men Who Stare at Goats") he turned into a book in 2004. It's amazing to see the very real people behind the First Earth Battalion (renamed the New Earth Army in the film) recounting the bizarre stories that are brought to life on the big screen in the quasi-fictional movie by writer-director Grant Heslov.

It's a must-see if you plan on catching the film, and absolutely fascinating. There's a cynical side of me that would like to assume the members of the First Earth Battallion all are crackpots, but there's too much fact mixed in with the weirdness for me to dismiss it outright.

You can see the first episode of Jon Ronson's original documentary, in its entirety, over at SciFi Squad.

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]]>channel 4Channel4documentaryfirst earth battallionFirstEarthBattallionGrant HeslovGrantHeslovJon RonsonJonRonsonnew earth armyNewEarthArmythe crazy rulers of the worldThe men who stare at goatsTheCrazyRulersOfTheWorldTheMenWhoStareAtGoatsCinematical staffFri, 06 Nov 2009 19:45:00 ESTStephen Frears Gears Up for 'High Fidelity' Reunionhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/stephen-frears-gears-up-for-high-fidelity-reunion/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/stephen-frears-gears-up-for-high-fidelity-reunion/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/stephen-frears-gears-up-for-high-fidelity-reunion/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Having dipped into the seductive waters of sexy courtesans, Stephen Frears is now looking towards the future, and the future's got lots of gambling. The trades are reporting that Frears is set to direct Lay the Favorite, a dramedy that will rejoin him with High Fidelity scribe D.V. De Vincentis. The project stems from an upcoming memoir by Beth Raymer called Lay the Favorite, Take the Dog, which will be published this Spring.

Now, why did I say trades and not pick one? That's because it's time to play Pick the Plot.

In one corner, we've got The Hollywood Reporter, who says that this is a world of "geeky gamblers" who "figure out how to work the sportsbook system in Las Vegas for their own profit. It centers on a woman in her early thirties who has made a series of bad choices but achieves a redemption of sorts when she meets and then becomes involved with the gamblers." De Vincentis says: "This is the version of 50-year-old math geeks from Queens in basketball shorts who have pet guinea pigs."

In the other corner, we've got Variety describing the story as a "young woman's journey into the world of sports gambling. She starts out as a cocktail waitress but gets caught up in gambling until falling in love," calling it a cross between High Fidelity and The Grifters.

So, geek fest with gambling and a little romance thrown in for good measure, or a romantic world where a cocktail waitress can gamble her way to money ... and love. Which do you choose?

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]]>Beth RaymerBethRaymerCinematicalD.V. DeVincentisD.v.DevincentisLay the FavoriteLay the Favorite Take the DogLayTheFavoriteLayTheFavoriteTakeTheDogStephen FrearsStephenFrearsMonika BartyzelFri, 06 Nov 2009 15:32:00 ESTFree Flick of the Day: Charadehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/free-flick-of-the-day-charade/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/free-flick-of-the-day-charade/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/free-flick-of-the-day-charade/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I hate saying "They just don't make movies like they used to" because it really yearns for a golden age that I don't believe ever truly existed in Hollywood. Every age has had its share of studio dreck, every decade has its gems, and audiences have always complained that movies were better in a mystical "back then." But with a film like Charade, the grumpy adage rings true. They don't make movies like this anymore. But luckily they did once upon a time, and you can watch this one on SlashControl.

If you've never seen Charade, you are in for a dizzying treat. I won't describe the plot too much as the knots are half the fun. The rest of the charm rests solely on the shoulders of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, who are thrown together in a plot of intrigue, romance, politics, and war crimes. Despite all the deaths and danger, the movie is light, charming, and very, very funny. And the clothes! If it's a Hepburn and Grant movie, you know Givenchy will be a silent cast member. Marvel at the way everyone manages to do action scenes in crisp and beautiful outfits. Go get acquainted with a classic (if it isn't your friend already), and long for the days when they made a lot of things (suits, luggage, and dialogue) a little bit better than today.

Watch Charade now on SlashControl.

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]]>audrey hepburnAudreyHepburnCary GrantCaryGrantCharadeFree Flick of the DayFreeFlickOfTheDaySlashControlElisabeth RappeFri, 06 Nov 2009 12:02:00 EST'Yogi Bear' Will Cry Me A River With Its Casthttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/yogi-bear-will-cry-me-a-river-with-its-cast/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/yogi-bear-will-cry-me-a-river-with-its-cast/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/yogi-bear-will-cry-me-a-river-with-its-cast/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Yogi Bear and Boo Boo are bringing sexy back -- and that image should make you ripe for nightmares tonight. If you doubt me, look to Variety, who reports that Dan Aykroyd, Anna Faris, and Justin Timberlake are set to go to Jellystone in Yogi Bear, which Eric Brevig is directing for Warner Bros.

Aykroyd will be voicing Yogi, and he really is the most obvious choice to play the picnic basket thief. He's funny, he sounds gruff, and if it was live-action it would be a very terrifying thing to see. So thank goodness this is being done as a CG / live-action hybrid.

Timberlake will be voicing Boo Boo. Yep. The man who wants to love your mother, put his d*ck in a box, and who will cry you a river will lend his vocal talents to playing Yogi's diminutive sidekick. In this update of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, expect Boo Boo to be a lot more of a smart aleck. (I was going to say "sassy," but I think that would be a far different Boo Boo.)

Though Faris has done voice work before, it sounds as though she might be one of the live action elements to this unholy hybrid. Variety says she's set to play a documentary filmmaker. Presumably she discovers the tourist robbing bears, and makes a film of them. Or she has to help them preserve Jellystone against evil developers. Either way, she'll have to talk to big rubbery CG bears, and it might be kind of weird. What would be even weirder is if one or both bears fell in love with her, so let's hope she falls into the arms of whoever plays Ranger Smith. Shooting is expected to start in New Zealand next month.

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]]>anna farisAnnaFarisdan aykroydDanAykroyderic brevigEricBrevigfeaturedhanna barberaHannaBarberaJellystoneJustin TimberlakeJustinTimberlakeyogi bearYogiBearElisabeth RappeFri, 06 Nov 2009 09:03:00 ESTGregg Araki, 'Twin Peaks', and Images from 'Kaboom'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/gregg-araki-twin-peaks-and-images-from-kaboom/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/gregg-araki-twin-peaks-and-images-from-kaboom/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/gregg-araki-twin-peaks-and-images-from-kaboom/#commentsFiled under: , ,




In the '90s, I adored exactly three parts of Hollywood: alternative music flicks like Pump Up the Volume and Empire Records, Gregg Araki, and David Lynch. The first always bled into the other two, Araki partaking in the musical joys of bands like The Jesus & Mary Chain and New Order, and Badalamenti creating his own unique world of music. But now the other two are combining. Sort of.

Remember how I posted a month ago about Araki's new film, Kaboom? Well, some images have finally popped up over at Quiet Earth, including the confused-faced Thomas Dekker above. There are also shots of Dekker in bed, and some looks of exasperation, but that's not the kicker -- it's the synopsis, which kicks off with "A hyper-stylized TWIN PEAKS for the Coachella Generation..." Yes, Araki's getting into a little small-town quirk.

Building on that whole all-too-brief sexual awakening description from last month, the movie is "a wild and sex-drenched horror-comedy thriller" about an ambisexual college freshman who trips on "some hallucinogenic cookies" and is "convinced he's witnessed the gruesome murder of an enigmatic Red Haired Girl who has been haunting his dreams." Is the girl in a room with a black and white floor and thick, red curtains?

What do you think about the idea of Araki getting a little Lynchian?

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]]>CinemticalGregg ArakiGreggArakiKaboomThomas DekkerThomasDekkerMonika BartyzelThu, 05 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST