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First Look at Megan Fox and Mickey Rourke in 'Passion Play'
Filed under: Drama, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Images
It's either this year's The Wrestler, or the film equivalent of that nasty drunk at the bar who's just slowly making the biggest ass of himself with each passing minute. In the works for 10 years now, Mitch Glazer's Passion Play has just wrapped production and star Mickey Rourke sat down for a brief chat with Entertainment Weekly in which, among other things, he calls Megan Fox "probably the best young actress I've ever worked with" and at the same time bashes one or both of his Wrestler co-stars by saying "there wasn't much chemistry there." Oh Mickey, what will you say next?
In Passion Play, Rourke plays a down-and-out trumpet player who looks to a young winged angel for redemption in 1950s Los Angeles. On Fox's character, Rourke notes, "She has wings, so she was sort of an oddity trapped in a carnival act. She's been a prisoner her whole life, and she has no understanding of trust. She's very vulnerable and delicate." It's not hard to see similarities with Rourke's character in The Wrestler, but he tries to distance himself from that film and its story (in an odd way) by criticizing the lack of chemistry on set and then noting: "As far as the redemption is concerned, it's almost fate. It's not so much that my character is seeking redemption, it's almost like it falls in my lap by accident. And I try and hold on to it as much as I can."
Check out the rest over at EW. Passion Play will most likely debut at some point in 2010.
Exclusive Stills from Roman Polanski's 'The Ghost Writer'
Filed under: Drama, Movie Marketing, Images
Cinematical has just received three brand new exclusive stills for Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer, which will world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival this month. Based on the novel by Robert Harris (who also penned the screenplay), Polanski's latest stars Ewan McGregor as a professional ghost writer who's brought in at the last minute to help the former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan) finish his memoir after the PM's previous ghost writer (and close friend) mysteriously drowned. When he begins to discover some dark secrets the PM may have been trying to hide, our ghost writer suddenly finds this chance of a lifetime slowly turn into a life and death situation. The film also stars Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams and Timothy Hutton.
We've posted the recently-released trailer for this stylish-looking, noir-ish political thriller after the jump, and you can scope out Polanski's latest for yourself when it reaches theaters in limited release on February 19th (after premiering in Berlin on February 12th). Click into the gallery below to check out the three exclusive photos.
Where You Can See Jackie Chan's Banned Film, 'Shinjuku Incident'
Filed under: New Releases, Fandom, Distribution, Exhibition, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Images
If you're a fan of martial arts superstar Jackie Chan -- and I don't mean The Spy Next Door Jackie Chan, more like Police Story Jackie Chan -- you've probably been keeping tabs on a little film of his called Shinjuku Incident, about illegal Chinese immigrants and Japanese crime bosses clashing in 1990s Tokyo. Directed by former Shaw Bros. actor-turned-filmmaker Derek Yee, the dramatic crime thriller marks Chan's welcome return to films that aren't, well, silly Hollywood comedies, which is cause enough for celebration.
Need proof? Check out the trailer for Shinjuku Incident after the jump, which begins with Jackie Chan's blood-spattered producer credit and includes:
Guys with knives
Jackie shooting people at point-blank range
Gang brawls
More shooting
Jackie drinking alcohol
Jackie threatening someone with chopsticks
Black Panther-esque power fists
Last year Variety reported that Shinjuku Incident was deemed "too violent" to pass censor in China and was subsequently banned from mainland distribution when Yee refused to edit it down. Thankfully, upstart distributor Barking Cow Distribution is releasing it stateside in limited release this Friday, February 5 (with an R rating), which means American Chan devotees can get a chance to see it on the big screen.
Full theater list and images after the break.
Exclusive Images from Edward Norton's 'Leaves of Grass'
Filed under: Movie Marketing, Images, Trailers and Clips
Edward Norton playing a set of twins in a stoner dark comedy? Sign me up! Cinematical has just received these exclusive images from Leaves of Grass, written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson. In the film, Norton plays twin brothers Bill and Brady Kincaid -- the former of which is an Ivy League philosophy professor who is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown by his pot-growing twin brother in order to assist in his stoner sibling's ill-conceived scheme to take down a local drug lord (played by Richard Dreyfuss). Also starring in the film are Keri Russell as the new woman that comes into Bill's life, and Susan Sarandon as the twin brothers' eccentric mother.
Nelson, who also has a role in the film, last met up with Norton on the big screen in The Incredible Hulk, and he wrote the part in Leaves of Grass specifically for his friend, even though Norton didn't know it until after the script was written (according to a chat from the Toronto Film Festival back in 2008). You can check out the brand new images by viewing the gallery below. Additionally, we've provided a statement from Tim Blake Nelson after the jump.
Leaves of Grass hits theaters on April 2nd.
First Look: Jeff Bridges in 'Tron: Legacy'
Filed under: Images
Here's Jeff "The Dude" Bridges, fresh off his Oscar nominated role in Crazy Heart, and now appearing as a white-robed, disc-wearing Flynn (we assume?) in a new image from Disney's upcoming Tron: Legacy. It's obviously meant to be the same stark, white set that we saw in the concept footage from Comic-Con two years ago, but what's up with that disc on his back? And boy, what would 1982's Flynn say about all that hair? He'd probably call him a corporate old-dude and steal his password.
We received absolutely no details with this new image. Is he a prisoner? Is he in self-imposed exile? Is he running the show from upstairs? Is he just visiting Magneto in his plastic prison from X2: X-Men United? Whatever the case, it has us on pins and needles for the movie, which will probably be the one of the most anticipated sequels with a 28-year gap between installments ever. Tron: Legacy hits theaters on December 10th, 2010.
For those who aren't as familiar with the original, is this film on your radar? Do you think the gaming technology will connect with the younger generations regardless of whether they know or watched or heard about the original film. Curious to hear what you all think ...
Exclusive: 'Alice in Wonderland' Knave of Hearts Sketch
Filed under: Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Remakes and Sequels, Images
We've seen a lot of bits for Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland -- Queens and Alices and Dees and Dums abound. But do you remember that Crispin Glover has a role? He's playing Ilosovic Stayne, The Knave of Hearts and head of the Red Queen's Army. An image of the character hasn't been released yet, but Cinematical has just received this exclusive Tim Burton sketch detailing what he will look like. You can see the full-size image in the gallery below.
Seven feet, six-inches tall, with a scarred face and a heart-shaped patch covering his left eye, Stayne is an arrogant, tricky character who follows the Red Queen's every order. He's the only one capable of pacifying her and calming her dramatic mood swings. "I am the martial element for the Red Queen," says Glover. "The Red Queen has a fair amount of short-tempered reactions to things that people do, and so my character has to be quite diplomatic." His darker side emerges in the shadows of the castle hallways.
Be still my Glover fan heart! You know he'll be just perfect in this role. It would be great to get a picture of the real Knave before the film hits, and that's still a definite possibility as Disney is holding a content rollout called "Wonderland Wednesdays." Every Wednesday, a series of websites will get new glimpses of the film. Unless they want to terrorize us with anticipation until the March 5 release, we should see him soon.
*Edited thanks to reader Kerry.
If Disney Animated Literary Drama Instead of Fairy Tales...
Filed under: Animation, Disney, Fandom, Images
Walt Disney was in love with the fairy tales. Well, to be more accurate, his own specialized versions of them. Most of the horror and sadistic twists of the epic yarns were tossed aside. No flesh-eating ogres or other horrors were allowed. The darkness was removed to make way for more romance and whimsy, and it's a habit that survived well beyond Mr. Walt. (I'm looking at you, especially, Pocohontas.)
It is, therefore, not much of a jump to wonder what the cinematic landscape would be like if Walt was inspired by other forms of dramatic literature. Artist Sam Nielson came up with some excellent alternative "Disney Princesses" -- specifically, Hester Prynne (The Scarlet Letter), Ophelia (Hamlet), and Jocasta (Oedipus Rex). Sure, it might seem weird, but take a moment to think about it. Fairy tales were stories overflowing with drama and horror, aspects washed away for the Mouse House, so why not other dramatic pieces? Maybe Ophelia was just floating on down a stream, letting the sun warm her face as she dreamed of Hamlet. Maybe Ms. Prynne joined a sorority. Maybe ... erm, maybe not on the whole mom-loving thing. (Unless one of you has an idea?)
Seeing these images, I can't stop wondering what Disneyfied versions of classic literature would look like, and likewise, what movies would be like today if our firsts bouts of epic animation weren't Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, but rather ...
Any ideas?
[via Super Punch]
First Impressions and One-Sheet for Polanski's 'The Ghost Writer'
Filed under: Action, Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Movie Marketing, Images, Posters
A few weeks ago, we got a sneak peek at Roman Polanski's newest film, The Ghost Writer, previously known as The Ghost, and we can finally loosen our lips a tad to talk about this thriller. (A full review of the final cut will be forthcoming the week of release.) Ewan McGregor plays a professional ghost writer known for more fluffy and financially successful books than serious political biographies. Nevertheless, he is brought in at the last minute to finish the memoirs of former British PM Adam Lang after the previous ghost writer -- and Lang's close friend -- mysteriously drowns before finishing the book.
Lang has sequestered himself on a little island in New England to finish his memoirs, but the handsome and athletic figurehead seems seems far less interested in politics than his savvy wife Ruth. The book's deadline isn't the only thing looming in this ominous, rainy little town.
Polanski has assembled a very strong cast with McGregor, Pierce Brosnan as Adam Lang, Kim Cattrall as Amelia, Lang's right-hand woman, and Olivia Williams in a stand-out performance as his wife Ruth. The Ghost Writer is a meticulously crafted, stylish film that brings an old Hollywood, noir sensibility to this story by Robert Harris that I liked more, the more I thought about it afterward.
Check out the high-res version of the poster below.
The Ghost Writer opens on February 19, 2010, in limited release.
Gallery: The Ghost Writer
Sundance Exclusive: Poster for 'Bass Ackwards'
Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Sundance, Images, Posters
Click image below to view full poster
One of the brand new additions to the Sundance Film Festival this year that a lot of people will be keeping an eye on is their NEXT category, which features 8 films that were made for either very little money or no money at all. I dig the idea behind the category, and the fact that Sundance is trying to once again return to celebrating the true spirit of independent film, and I look forward to seeing what these scrappy little show dogs bring to the table.
One such film is called Bass Ackwards, and today Cinematical has its exclusive poster premiere. The film follows a dude whose life sorta falls apart to the point where he rents a van and decides to drive across country to go move back in with his parents. It's on this road trip, though, that he meets some people who help him find a reason to love life again. One of the cool things about Bass Ackwards is that they struck a very unique deal to make the film available via multiple platforms (digital, VOD, DVD) the day after the festival ends, on February 1st. So make sure you keep an eye out for it.
In the meantime, you can read more about Bass Ackwards in our Sundance Primer on the film, and you can check out the full poster by clicking the image below.
Gallery: 'Bass Ackwards' Poster
The Universal Language... Of Marketing
Currently I'm on vacation in Taiwan thanks to a free trip I won back in September of 2009, and I've been exploring the city since I arrived yesterday. Normally, the fact that everything opens around 11:00 AM would be a good thing, since there's nothing I love better than to sleep in while on vacation. Unfortunately, the time change between Taipei and my native Los Angeles is eight hours or so, which means I find myself wide awake around 6:00. What this means is that I had enough time today to investigate a local cinema down the street from my hotel, and I snapped some pictures of the advertisements and poster art for films already released – or set to be, at least – in the states.
Sadly, the coolest poster I saw, for True Legend, a new film directed by iconic action choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping that has yet to be released, didn't photograph well. But check out a collection of photos taken at local Taipei theaters of the posters and promotional art being used to promote new and upcoming films ...
Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams Reunite for 'Mission Impossible 4'
'Big Top Pee-Wee': The Original Benicio Del Toro Wolfman
Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 2/9
Watch This: Brilliant Oscar-Nominated Short 'Logorama'
Chris Nolan to Lead 'Superman' Reboot!?
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