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/Damon + Soderbergh + Corn = New Trailer for 'The Informant!'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/damon-soderbergh-corn-new-trailer-for-the-informant/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/damon-soderbergh-corn-new-trailer-for-the-informant/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/damon-soderbergh-corn-new-trailer-for-the-informant/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The way casting announcements and pics of a pudgier Matt Damon had come down the pike, one had every reason to think that Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! (now with exclamation point) was going to skew more serious than its newly debuted trailer sells.

It's not that there's anything wrong with telling the real-life story of a bi-polar whistle-blower (Damon) with a more decidedly comedic bent, but 'thriller', this does not scream. Then again, maybe Soderbergh just wanted to lighten things up after the epic Che and the austere The Girlfriend Experience, and if that's indeed the case, things do seem to be heading more towards the Ocean's Whatever lark end of his spectrum.

Although most sites seem to have The Informant! with an October 9th release date, the trailer and the page around it (you know, with the 40-Year-Old Virgin-like possible poster art) both state September (in line with a 9/18 date we've seen floating around elsewhere). Either way, I suspect that an appearance at one of this fall's high-profile festivals will help assure us that the film does indeed merit its especially enthused punctuation and that the Damon does indeed merit his schlub-tastic appearance.

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]]>joel mchaleJoelMchalematt damonMattDamonmelanie lynskeyMelanieLynskeyscott bakulaScottBakulasteven soderberghStevenSoderberghthe informantTheInformanttom wilsonTomWilsontony haleTonyHaleWilliam GossWed, 01 Jul 2009 10:02:00 ESTOverture Digs Men Staring at 'Goats'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/19/overture-digs-men-staring-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/19/overture-digs-men-staring-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/19/overture-digs-men-staring-at-goats/#commentsFiled under: ,

Overture has acquired the movie The Men Who Stare At Goats, which is based on the awesomely insane non-fiction book by intrepid reporter Jon Ronson. The book is a series of Ronson's investigations into the more bizarre aspects of the Bush administration's military, er, strategies. Like trying to kill goats just by staring at them or control the weather with your mind and, well, basically everything that dude in college who took too much acid was trying to tell you was true.

George Clooney plays the nutty (yet dreamy!) psychic spy Lyn Cassady who claims that he's been "reactivated" after 9/11, and Ewan McGregor is the reporter who investigates Cassady's strange tales. The fictionalized version of Ronson's book sounds a little more madcap than the reporter's tales of torturing suspected terrorists with the Barney theme song for hours, but I can't wait to see Clooney go eye-to-eye with a "de-bleated" goat for hours.

Goats is slated for a December 2009 release.

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]]>ewan mcgregorEwanMcgregorgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyThe men who stare at goatsTheMenWhoStareAtGoatsJenni MillerTue, 19 May 2009 18:03:00 ESTRelease Date Shuffle: Fox Moves 'Fox'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/20/release-date-shuffle-fox-moves-fox/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/20/release-date-shuffle-fox-moves-fox/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/20/release-date-shuffle-fox-moves-fox/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Ah, another week, another jumble to the calendar -- specifically, to 20th Century Fox's release slate.

According to Box Office Mojo, the studio has moved The Tooth Fairy back from November 13th to next January (because where else are you going to stick a Dwayne-Johnson-as-hockey-player-as-tooth-fairy outing?), and Wes Anderson's The Fantastic Mr. Fox has moved back a week from 11/6 to 11/13 as their choice contender for the family dollar. This now places it right after Disney and Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol (really, the first week of November?) and just before Warners' Cats & Dogs sequel (really, the second movie of Cats & Dogs?).

I'm not sure how much Johnson's recent Race to Witch Mountain cost, but I can't help but think that he'd like to outperform that film's good-not-great $60-ish million gross, and January could be just the grounds to do that in. (Paul Blart: Mall Cop opened within a week of the proposed new date and has raked in... almost $144 million? Yep, over $140 million.) Mr. Fox, on the other hand, is a mainstream proving ground for the ever-quirky Anderson, and with a voice cast that includes George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and Anjelica Huston, let's hope it has reason to top the $28 million gross of that last animated adaptation of a Roald Dahl book, 1996's James and the Giant Peach.

But of course, none of that matters, because the real news is that Sandra Bullock's apparent psychological thriller rom-com All About Steve has found itself a home on September 4th. Sure, it's a little early in the awards season to stake a claim, but I'll leave the for-your-consideration campaign in their hands...

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]]>all about steveAllAboutStevedwayne johnsonDwayneJohnsongeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneymichael lembeckMichaelLembeckroald dahlRoaldDahlsandra bullockSandraBullockthe fantastic mr. foxthe rockthe tooth fairyTheFantasticMr.FoxTheRockTheToothFairywes andersonWesAndersonWilliam GossMon, 20 Apr 2009 13:20:00 ESTGeorge Clooney and Aaron Sorkin Love a 'Challenge'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/04/george-clooney-and-aaron-sorkin-love-a-challenge/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/04/george-clooney-and-aaron-sorkin-love-a-challenge/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/04/george-clooney-and-aaron-sorkin-love-a-challenge/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

When it comes to George Clooney's political leanings, I have to tell you, I'm a little conflicted. Does it make me a hypocrite that I cringe whenever most actors wax poetic on the state of the union, but whenever Clooney gets a little high on the horse I tend to give him a pass -- maybe it's because I usually agree with him, or maybe like most of the world, I just can't seem to say no to 'The Clooney'. So while most of Clooney's political fare has been a relatively easy sell, his latest politically charged flick definitely will not fall into that category. Luckily for him, he has found the perfect partner in crime. Variety reports that Clooney has joined forces with Liberal darling Aaron Sorkin to write a script for the film version of Jonathan Mahler's book, The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power.

Clooney is producing under his Smoke House banner, and is reportedly looking to direct and star as the Navy lawyer, Charles Swift. Along with the Georgetown U. law professor Neal Katyal, Swift worked tirelessly to ensure a fair trail for Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan. Hamdan was captured back in 2001, and was convicted and sentenced to 5 1/2 years for providing material support to Al-Qaeda after being held at the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison. So even if you don't agree with Clooney and Sorkin's politics -- and I can guarantee that there are a lot of you out there who don't. I'll just be keeping my fingers crossed that The Challenge doesn't keep Sorkin so busy he doesn't have time for that other legal drama we have been hearing so much about.

So where does that leave me with actors and their politics? Plenty has already been said on the subject, so I won't rehash it all here. But while Iraq movies continue to crumble at the box-office, and the only presidents we are willing to dissect are the ones long past. I have to give Clooney credit for his willingness to tackle one hell of an unpopular subject -- don't you?

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]]>aaron sorkinAaronSorkinbookgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjonathan mahlerJonathanMahlerpoliticsThe ChallengeTheChallengeJessica BarnesWed, 04 Feb 2009 16:03:00 ESTGeorge Clooney Becomes Dr. Doug Ross Againhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/26/george-clooney-becomes-dr-doug-ross-again/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/26/george-clooney-becomes-dr-doug-ross-again/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/26/george-clooney-becomes-dr-doug-ross-again/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sometimes a little patience will be well rewarded. The picture to the right isn't some image from the archives -- it's George Clooney on the ER set. (One of a few you can check out over at Starzlife.)

Last March, word hit that ER would be looking back to past characters, and Clooney could possibly reprise his role as Dr. Doug Ross. Cinematical readers weighed in, and while I was hoping for a rush of love from Facts of Life fans, 58.2% of you wanted to see Clooney return to the emergency room, and your wish has been granted.

There is no word on what sort of storyline Clooney is jumping into, but sleuthing the images has proved one thing: A wedding ring can also be seen in the pictures, which means that Ross is probably still shacked up with wife Carol (Julianna Margulies).

But after Burn After Reading, I can't help but wonder if Ross has the same sort of carpentry-related extracurricular activities that Harry Pfarrer had...

[via Ace Showbiz]

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]]>CinematicalERGeorge ClooneyGeorgeClooneyMonika BartyzelMon, 26 Jan 2009 10:02:00 ESTCinematical Seven: The Many Looks of George Clooneyhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/14/cinematical-seven-the-many-looks-of-george-clooney/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/14/cinematical-seven-the-many-looks-of-george-clooney/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/14/cinematical-seven-the-many-looks-of-george-clooney/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



It's hard not to admire George Clooney. The man has worked his way up the ranks, became a superstar, and still manages to be loved and admired. But me, I'm not a fan because of his recent stints in films like the Ocean series, nor for his Batman, nor his sexy stint on ER. I'm a die-hard fan of the old Clooney days, where he sported a mullet and popped up in television shows like The Facts of Life and awesome flicks like Return of the Killer Tomatoes.

Seeing the above pictures, which are peeks of Clooney while shooting his new movie Men Who Stare at Goats (courtesy of Just Jared and The Bad and the Ugly), I couldn't help but think back to how the heartthrob has changed over the years, morphing from awkward kid to handsome leading man. So, I'm going to go backwards.

Consider the above number one, and then head through the jump to watch him become a sexy, bespeckled youngin' in six steps.

Continue reading Cinematical Seven: The Many Looks of George Clooney

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]]>CinematicalGeorge ClooneyGeorgeClooneyMonika BartyzelTue, 14 Oct 2008 22:02:00 ESTCinematical Seven: Sex Addicts on the Silver Screenhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/25/cinematical-seven-sex-addicts-on-the-silver-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/25/cinematical-seven-sex-addicts-on-the-silver-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/25/cinematical-seven-sex-addicts-on-the-silver-screen/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,



"Well, you tried it just for once, found it all right for kicks.
But now you found out that it's a habit that sticks,
and you're an orgasm addict." - The Buzzcocks

The new movie Choke, adapted from the Chuck Palahniuk novel, is about a sex addict (Sam Rockwell) who, in one element of the plot, hooks up with other sex addicts who attend the same Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings as him. Ah, the irony. The same thing happened to Sam Malone on Cheers, if I'm not mistaken, which makes the joke around 20 years old. Yet, despite that fact, sexual addiction as a term and a (non-DSM-recognized) medical problem seem fairly new to cinema.

Sure, there have been sex addicts in films for many decades, but they were more likely to be described as nymphomaniacs, lechers or typical men. Think of Dorothy Malone in Written on the Wind, a number of the female characters created by Tennessee Williams and certainly the locked up nymphos in Shock Corridor. In the past few years, however, there have been a slew of actual "sexaholics," both male and female, though some aren't exactly referred to in such a manner.

Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Sex Addicts on the Silver Screen

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]]>40 days and 40 nights40DaysAnd40Nightsa dirty shameADirtyShameauto focusAutoFocusblack snake moanBlackSnakeMoanblades of gloryBladesOfGlorybob craneBobCraneburn after readingBurnAfterReadingcaveh zahediCavehZahedichokechristina ricciChristinaRiccidavid duchovnyDavidDuchovnygeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneygreg kinnearGregKinneari am a sex addictIAmASexAddictjohn watersJohnWatersjosh hartnettJoshHartnettnymphomaniacpleasantvillesex addicttionSexAddicttionshock corridorShockCorridortennessee williamsTennesseeWilliamswill ferrellWillFerrellwritten on the windWrittenOnTheWindChristopher CampbellThu, 25 Sep 2008 21:32:00 ESTEwan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges 'Stare at Goats'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/14/ewan-mcgregor-kevin-spacey-jeff-bridges-stare-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/14/ewan-mcgregor-kevin-spacey-jeff-bridges-stare-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/14/ewan-mcgregor-kevin-spacey-jeff-bridges-stare-at-goats/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Do you remember a George Clooney project, green-lit in May, Men Who Stare at Goats?
Not only does it boast the coolest title in the world, but it's racking up a cast of equal greatness. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges are joining Clooney, under Grant Heslov's direction.

The film is based on Jon Ronson's book of the same title, and follows his investigation into the secret wing of the U.S. First Earth Battalion, a paranormal research unit created in 1978. Its goal was to create "Warrior Monks," supersoldiers who could do all sorts of comic-booky things like walk through walls, become invisible, read minds, and kill creatures by staring at them long enough. One soldier in Ronson's book claims he killed a hamster and a goat doing just that.

The adaptation is already switching things around a bit -- it's set in Iraq (where some of the supersoldiers have been reportedly deployed), and McGregor will be playing a stand-in for Ronson named Bob Wilton. He's desperate for a story, and stumbles upon the craziest one of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, played by Clooney, who claims to be a secret psychic soldier, reactivated after 9/11. As they travel through Iraq, investigating the story, they meet Bill Django, played by Bridges, who is the founder of the program and Cassady's mentor. Spacey will play Larry Hooper, another former psychic who is running a prison camp in Iraq.

While the topic of psychic supersoldiers seems to lend itself to comedy, Iraq and prison camps don't, so who knows what tone this will strike. Every actor in this can switch effortlessly from dramatic to quirky -- it's going to be a treat seeing them all in one film. Especially one with psychics and goat murders.

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]]>Ewan McGregorEwanMcgregorGeorge ClooneyGeorgeClooneygrant heslovGrantHeslovJeff BridgesJeffBridgesjon ronsonJonRonsonkevin spaceyKevinSpaceymandate picturesMandatePicturesmen who stare at goatsMenWhoStareAtGoatsElisabeth RappeSun, 14 Sep 2008 12:32:00 ESTTIFF Review: Burn After Readinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/tiff-review-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/tiff-review-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/tiff-review-burn-after-reading/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

When the worlds of Washington, DC political intrigue, infidelity, fitness centers and internet dating intersect and collide in a darkly hilarious fashion, you must be watching a film by the Coen brothers. Burn After Reading, Joel and Ethan Coen's follow-up to last year's critically lauded award winner, No Country for Old Men, was actually written by the duo as they were adapting No Country, but the two films couldn't be more different.

The colliding worlds in Burn After Reading involve a CIA analyst named Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), who's summoned to a top-secret meeting only to find out that the secret is he's being demoted due to his drinking problem. Cox blows a gasket and quits rather than taking the demotion, planning to spend his new-found spare time working on his memoirs and refining his drinking. Cox is married to Katie (Tilda Swinton), a icy pediatrician with the worst bedside manner imaginable, and she's less than sympathetic to her husband's life crisis.

Continue reading TIFF Review: Burn After Reading

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]]>brad pittburn after readingBurnAfterReadingcoen brothersCoenBrothersfeaturedfrances mcdormandgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjoel and ethan coenjohn malcovichrichard jenkinstifftiff2008tilda swintonTildaSwintontoronto international film festivalKim VoynarFri, 05 Sep 2008 19:02:00 ESTInsert Caption: Burn After Readinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/insert-caption-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/insert-caption-burn-after-reading/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/insert-caption-burn-after-reading/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Welcome back to another edition of Insert Caption -- the game you won't want to burn after reading ... because, well, how could you win any prizes then? Last week we asked you to give us your best college-esque caption for a photo from the new comedy College. In return for your brilliance, we were shelling out a one-of-a-kind beer pong table. Sweeet! Only one winner this week, so congrats to John R. for his inspiring take on a classic tale ...



1. "Unfortunately, try as he might, Peter just couldn't find his way back into Narnia" -- John R.

See full image and all captions






This week, we're shacking up with our old Oscar-winning pals Joel and Ethan Coen as they get ready to unveil their latest darkly comedic crime caper, Burn After Reading, starring folks like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand. Prizes? Oh yeah, check it: One Grand Prize winner will receive one Burn After Reading USB 2.0, one T-shirt, one Water Bottle and two Wrist Bands. Wait, there's more! Four first prize winners will each receive one T-shirt, one Water Bottle, and two Wrist Bands. Sound off below!



Read the official rules for this contest

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]]>brad pittBradPittburn after readingBurnAfterReadingcinematicalcollegefrances mcdormandFrancesMcdormandgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyinsert captionInsertCaptionjohn malcovichJohnMalcovichErik DavisFri, 05 Sep 2008 16:02:00 ESTLive from TIFF: Burn After Reading, Burn Out After Watchinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/live-from-tiff-burn-after-reading-burn-out-after-watching/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/live-from-tiff-burn-after-reading-burn-out-after-watching/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/05/live-from-tiff-burn-after-reading-burn-out-after-watching/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Burn After Reading, the latest from the Coen Brothers, makes its North American debut this year, following last year's rapturous Toronto reception for the Oscar-winning success of the tense, terse No Country for Old Men. After making No Country for Old Men, in perverse Coen-logic, the timing is clearly right for a messy, mean-spirited, profane punchy comedy. Burn After Reading is built around a classic Coen plot -- there's a valuable something out there, and various ill-equipped, dimwitted people see it as the answer to all their problems -- and the pleasure of seeing the big ensemble cast bite down hard on small parts until the juice drips down their chin is dry, funny and rich. (Brad Pitt's work alone as a fitness trainer whose I.Q. is as immeasurably low as his body-fat percentage is, bluntly, inanely great -- full of verve and conviction, and deeply funny.)

The Coens make movies about desire -- the stuff of drama -- but they often choose to make them about idiocy -- the stuff of comedy -- as well; as various characters around Washington, D.C. pursue, posses or hope to profit from a lost CD of data that an ex-CIA man (John Malkovich, fussy and hilarious) has misplaced, the plot's in part just a canvas for Coen-syle, carefully-timed punchlines and comedy so dry it'll leave your lips chapped. There's also some great inside-baseball movie-joke stuff about the cliches of every techno-thriller -- the Taiko-drum scores, the lower-left-of-the-screen-type establishing place and time, the moody shots of shadowy figures who may or may not be following our heroes -- that work in a smart, sideways fashion, too. And every actor in Burn After Reading is playing someone having some kind of mid-to-late-life freakout, grabbing at chances to be happy, and failing while flailing and spitting out four-letter words as they go down; Kim will have her full review up later, but we laughed. A lot.

Continue reading Live from TIFF: Burn After Reading, Burn Out After Watching

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]]>Brad PittBradPittBurn After ReadingBurnAfterReadingFrances McDormandFrancesMcdormandJohn MalcovitchJohnMalcovitchTIFF2008Tilda SwintonTildaSwintonJames RocchiFri, 05 Sep 2008 14:40:00 EST2 New Character-Centric 'Burn After Reading' Trailershttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/09/2-new-character-centric-burn-after-reading-trailers/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/09/2-new-character-centric-burn-after-reading-trailers/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/09/2-new-character-centric-burn-after-reading-trailers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



There may not be much footage that we haven't already seen in either the original red-band trailer or the international teaser for the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading, but I noted enough bits and pieces to feel these two new videos worthy of sharing. Plus, for those of you who have a preference, George or Brad, you now have a trailer that fits you best. Personally, I'm hoping that the ladies, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton, get their own character-centric trailers. And while Focus Features is at it, how about individual spots for John Malkovich? Heck, give Richard Jenkins, J.K. Simmons and David Rasche each their own, too. I'm that excited about this movie that I want more, more, more.

Fortunately, we've only got about a month until Burn After Reading opens on September 12.

Continue reading 2 New Character-Centric 'Burn After Reading' Trailers

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]]>brad pittBradPittburn after readingBurnAfterReadingcoen brothersCoenBrothersdavid rascheDavidRascheethan coenEthanCoenfrances mcdormandFrancesMcdormandgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyj.k. simmonsJ.k.Simmonsjoel coenJoelCoenjohn malkovichJohnMalkovichrichard jenkinsRichardJenkinsthe coen brothersTheCoenBrotherstilda swintonTildaSwintonChristopher CampbellSat, 09 Aug 2008 09:02:00 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 ESTWhy Does George Clooney 'Stare At Goats'?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/16/why-does-george-clooney-stare-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/16/why-does-george-clooney-stare-at-goats/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/16/why-does-george-clooney-stare-at-goats/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

This is officially the greatest movie title ever.

Variety has announced that George Clooney will star in Men Who Stare At Goats, a big screen adaptation of Jon Ronson's scary-because-its-true book. Clooney's Smoke House partner Grant Heslov will direct, while Peter Straughan has penned the script.

Ronson's book is an investigation into the secret wing of the U.S. First Earth Battalion. It was a paranormal research unit created in 1979 with the purpose of creating "Warrior Monks," soldiers who could walk through walls, become invisible, read minds, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it long enough. One ex-Army employee Ronson interviewed claims that he actually did kill his pet hamster and a goat by staring at them for a very long time. While the book is full of kookiness, it does branch out to discuss how the paranormal project has come to play in the current Iraq war. Not only have some of First Earth's research projects been employed as torture, a few of those claiming to have developed superpowers have reportedly been deployed to Iraq. Our tax dollars at work, people.

It all sounds like one of the funnier episodes of The X-Files -- a perfect project for Clooney; the right mix of political activism and screwball humor. Frankly, I'm sold by the title alone. Here's hoping they won't change it to appeal to a wider America.

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]]>George ClooneyGeorgeClooneygrant heslovGrantHeslovJon RonsonJonRonsonMen Who Stare at GoatsMenWhoStareAtGoatsElisabeth RappeFri, 16 May 2008 11:40:00 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 ESTGeorge Clooney and WGA Have a Falling Outhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/04/george-clooney-and-wga-have-a-falling-out/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/04/george-clooney-and-wga-have-a-falling-out/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/04/george-clooney-and-wga-have-a-falling-out/#commentsFiled under: , ,

No sooner do I write an adulatory post about George Clooney than I come upon this story about the trouble he's been having with the Writers' Guild of America over credit for the Leatherheads screenplay. He's so upset at the way he's been treated that he's gone "financial core" at the Guild, which is an irreversible decision making him a limited, non-voting, dues-paying member. He says he would have quit altogether, but that would have basically prevented him from working as a screenwriter in Hollywood.

According to Clooney, the original Leatherheads script by Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly had been bouncing around for almost two decades before he took it, rewrote it as a screwball comedy, and got the project greenlit. He believes that he wrote all but two scenes of the resulting film. But when the credit squabble went to arbitration before the WGA last fall, the guild determined that Clooney didn't deserve screen credit for his work. That was the end of the line for him (he declined to appeal), though he kept the matter quiet at the time because of the ongoing writers strike.

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]]>duncan brantleyDuncanBrantleygeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyleatherheadsrick reillyRickReillyWGAEugene NovikovFri, 04 Apr 2008 14:02:00 ESTFan Rant: Am I Sick of George Clooney? Not Anymore I'm Nothttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/03/fan-rant-am-i-sick-of-george-clooney-not-anymore-im-not/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/03/fan-rant-am-i-sick-of-george-clooney-not-anymore-im-not/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/03/fan-rant-am-i-sick-of-george-clooney-not-anymore-im-not/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Yesterday, Monika asked if we were tired of George Clooney, who has undeniably been everywhere since making his escape from ER in the mid-1990s. I wanted to weigh in, because my answer is a curious one, and it sadly wasn't an option in Monika's poll: I used to be tired of him, but I'm not anymore.

I think the peak of my tiredness came with the dreadful Perfect Storm in 2000. I remember being so sick of seeing Clooney pop up as these boring, poker-faced, tediously noble action heroes. I hadn't seen his earlier B-movie efforts at the time, and the triple-threat of Batman & Robin, The Peacemaker and The Perfect Storm made me wish he'd never been born. (I had seen Three Kings, and honestly don't remember why that didn't change matters for me -- I think I wrote it off as a fluke, and was more impressed with Ice Cube anyhow.) What an anodyne heartthrob, I thought, with no personality or real talent. Get him out of my sight.

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]]>batman and robinBatmanAndRobingeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyintolerable crueltyIntolerableCrueltyleatherheadso brother where art thouOBrotherWhereArtThouout of sightOutOfSightthe peacemakerthe perfect stormThePeacemakerThePerfectStormEugene NovikovThu, 03 Apr 2008 15:02:00 ESTGeorge Clooney and John Krasinski Go Unscriptedhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/28/george-clooney-and-john-krasinski-go-unscripted/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/28/george-clooney-and-john-krasinski-go-unscripted/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/28/george-clooney-and-john-krasinski-go-unscripted/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



I totally think it'd be fun to hang with George Clooney for the day. Not even for the attention, the women or the chance that Perez Hilton would write silly little things all over a photo of George and I. Fact is, the guy just looks like he has a good time with life (granted, good looks and millions of dollars probably help some). Above you will find an exclusive clip from Moviefone's latest Unscripted installment featuring Mr. Clooney and his Leatherheads co-star John Krasinski.

Not only did they ask each other questions YOU left for them right here on this very blog, but they also revealed plenty in the "unscripted" questions they asked one another. Who won a thousand bucks in a one-on-one basketball game behind the scenes: Clooney or Krasinski? Whose perfect date consists of drinking and yelling? And why do the boys care so much about Fifi from San Francisco? (Where are you Fifi -- you're a star now!) Check out the clip above, then head on over to Moviefone for the entire Unscripted interview. Fun stuff.

Leatherheads tackles its way into theaters on April 4.

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]]>cinematicalgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjohn krasinskiJohnKrasinskileatherheadsmoviefoneunscriptedErik DavisFri, 28 Mar 2008 16:32:00 ESTGeorge Clooney Tackles 'Farragut North'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/16/george-clooney-tackles-farragut-north/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/16/george-clooney-tackles-farragut-north/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/16/george-clooney-tackles-farragut-north/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Try as I might, I cannot find a video of the press conference for Leatherheads, and it seems the only one who noticed this story was Jeremy Smith from CHUD. I pass it on to you, because everyone likes a little George Clooney story on the weekend.

Farragut North, Beau Willimon's play (and hot Hollywood property) has been attached to Clooney (he's supposed to direct) since last fall, and it sounds like it might be going forward at last. However, Clooney denied he would be appearing in the film, saying, "I think there are a lot better actors for that than me." Oh, George. Such modesty. He doesn't expect to start production until next year, and there's no word as to whether Leonardo DiCaprio is still attached to star.

As the movie revolves around a young idealist on a presidential campaign, some may feel Clooney missed the boat on the timing. But I don't think so -- next year will give audiences a chance to catch their breath after this year's election. How many people want to go watch a film about a presidential campaign, and then come home to the real thing on CNN? Willimon's play is also set to debut on Broadway this summer, and the film might be hinging on its reception.

No one does classy political drama like Clooney. If Willimon's play is all that it is rumored to be, audiences can expect a brilliant movie -- and Clooney more gold statuettes. . .

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]]>Beau WillimonFarragut NorthGeorge ClooneyGeorgeClooneyLeatherheadsLeonardo DiCaprioElisabeth RappeSun, 16 Mar 2008 15:32:00 ESTGeorge Clooney and John Krasinski: Ask 'Leatherheads' Stars a Questionhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/12/george-clooney-and-john-krasinski-ask-leatherheads-stars-a-qu/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/12/george-clooney-and-john-krasinski-ask-leatherheads-stars-a-qu/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/12/george-clooney-and-john-krasinski-ask-leatherheads-stars-a-qu/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

LeatherheadsAh, George Clooney and John Krasinski. Sigh. I mean, not to get all ridiculously fangirl on you, but I am unashamed to admit that I have massive crushes on each of them -- and not even celebrity crushes, but bonafide crushes, like, "Who the hell is this loser cocktail waitress he's dating, he should be mine, goddammit, ALL MINE" ... err, too much?

Well, apparently there is a movie god, because Clooney and Krasinski are starring in a movie together -- a romantic comedy called Leatherheads -- and I'm all over this sucker like mud on a linebacker. Seriously, the only way this could top my fantasy-boyfriend-meter would be if Nathan Fillion were starring in it, too. But, ahem, to be professional for a moment: Clooney directed and stars in Leatherheads as Dodge Connelly (great name), a football player in the 1920s, which is just before professional football has become an actual organized sport. His team loses its sponsor and the league is on the verge of collapse until he hires a ringer: college star and WWI hero Carter Rutherford, who may just be too good to be true. Renée Zellweger co-stars as a reporter who falls for them both; and can you blame her?

Well, tie me down and call me Nelly, 'cause we've snagged Clooney and Krasinski for a Leatherheads Unscripted, in which they'll interview each other using your questions. Trust me, if I could stalk... um, attend the taping I would, but you can do the next best thing, and that's ask them whatever you want in the comments section below. Submit any questions by this Friday, March 14, and then check back here on Monday, March 31, to see if yours made the cut. Oh, and be sure to include your first name and the city and state where you live -- but please, no "John, will you marry me?" questions. I mean c'mon, show a little professionalism. [insert self-mocking emoticon here]

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]]>george clooneyGeorgeClooneyjohn krasinskiJohnKrasinskileatherheadsPatricia ChuiWed, 12 Mar 2008 18:04:00 EST