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: 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 ESTInterview: Joseph Gordon-Levitt on 'Uncertainty', 'Inception' and His Favorite Movieshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/joseph-gordon-levitt-interview/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/joseph-gordon-levitt-interview/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/joseph-gordon-levitt-interview/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Lynn Collins and Josephn Gordon-Levitt in Uncertainty


Whether as a fast-talking high schooler in a film noir (Brick) or a disfigured soldier in a big budget blockbuster (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), Joseph Gordon-Levitt has proven himself to be one of the most talented young actors. His new movie, Uncertainty, takes the viewer on a journey into two different worlds, where a flip of a coin takes a young couple (Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins) into an innocuous visit to her family and decisions about their future and another takes them into a strange criminal underworld where everyone is after a cell phone they found in a cab. Directed by David Siegel and Scott McGehee, Uncertainty was filmed on the fly with hand-held cameras in S16m and HD as the couple race towards their different futures. In this interview, we discuss the freedom of improvising within a structured world, his favorite movies, and what he can't say about G.I. Joe sequels or Christopher Nolan's Inception.

Cinematical: Can you discuss the beginning of the movie a bit? I was confused if it was symbolic or literal or what.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: What do you think was happening?

Cinematical: Well, I went back and I watched it again and wasn't sure.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: I don't want to be evasive or anything... You know, it's the kind of movie that's meant to stimulate a conversation or provoke your own creative thoughts about it, so I hesitate to say, "Well, what it means is blah blah blah." First of all, because it means something different to everybody. And second of all, I would never want anybody to say, "Well, I read an interview where the actor said that it means blah blah blah, so it means that and it doesn't mean anything else. 'Cause to me that's the beauty of movies, is that it can mean really whatever you want. The act of watching a movie, I think, is a creative act; it's not just input. All of us, as audience members, we're telling the story the way that we see it.

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]]>Christopher NolanChristopherNolanG.I. JoeG.I. Joe The Rise of CobraG.i.JoeG.i.JoeTheRiseOfCobrainceptioninterviewJoseph Gordon-LevittJosephGordon-levittlynn collinsLynnCollinsuncertaintyJenni MillerFri, 13 Nov 2009 12:45:00 ESTWatch This: Wes Anderson Acts Out 'Mr. Fox' Storyboardshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/watch-this-wes-anderson-acts-out-mr-fox-storyboards/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/watch-this-wes-anderson-acts-out-mr-fox-storyboards/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/watch-this-wes-anderson-acts-out-mr-fox-storyboards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


In this month's Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson makes his first foray into animation with an adaptation of Roald Dahl's story about an upwardly mobile fox (George Clooney) whose drive to steal chickens threatens his family and community. While it's Anderson's first non-live action project, Mr. Fox nonetheless shares qualities with his other films, including a meticulous attention to detail, stylish design, and idiosyncratic characters. So how did the live-action auteur tackle the challenges of stop-motion filmmaking, especially considering that he spent much of the production in an entirely different country than his crew?

HitFix has a fun little glimpse of the director at work that shows us how Anderson collaborated with his animation team to bring the characters of Fantastic Mr. Fox to life. From his base in Paris, Anderson shot video storyboards of scenes and character movements by acting out scenes and blocking himself. He then emailed the videos to his crew in London, who took their visual cues from Anderson's performances. The end results, when viewed side-by-side with Anderson's versions, are near identical.

Hit the jump and watch Anderson as Mr. Fox, Kristofferson, Ash, and other characters from The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

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]]>animationFantastic Mr. FoxFantasticMr.Foxstop motionStopMotionWes AndersonWesAndersonJen YamatoFri, 13 Nov 2009 10:32:00 ESTDiscuss: What Will Everyone Else Think About 'Precious'?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/precious-movie-debate/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/precious-movie-debate/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/precious-movie-debate/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Oprah is pushing both Precious and the book it's based on, Push by Sapphire, on her show, and I'm seriously curious to know what her audience will think about it. How many people will be able to watch a film told from the point of view of an illiterate high schooler who is raped by her father, physically (and, in the book, sexually) abused by her mother, hates herself for not being white, has given birth to one child with Down's Syndrome who's nicknamed Mongo (short for Mongoloid), and is pregnant for a second time with her father's child?

Let's assume that Oprah's reach is strong enough and far enough to get her demographic to plunk down their eight to 12 dollars to see Precious - the Oprah Effect in full effect. (You can find out where and when Precious is playing near you on the official movie website.)

I'm not talking about critics and journalists or the people in big cities who like to participate in a friendly Oscar pool or want to be up on what was in the New York Times. They're already seeing the movie in droves; it made $1.8M in limited release its opening weekend. The latest numbers I could find on her demographic are from 2007, back when people were wondering if Oprah could help get a president elected. (Answer: Yes, she can.)

According to Nielsen via MSNBC, "Oprah's audience is predominantly female, white, and over the age of 55. Nationally 7.4 million people watch Oprah daily -- about 2.6% of American households. Four percent of American women (about 5.7 million) watch her daily, compared with 1.2% of men (1.7 million people). Overall, 2% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watch Oprah."

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]]>Gabourey SidibeGaboureySidibelee danielsLeeDanielsmariah careyMariahCareymarketingmoniqueoprahoscarPaula PattonPaulaPattonpreciousPrecious:BasedOnTheNovelPushBySapphirepushtyler perryTylerPerryJenni MillerWed, 11 Nov 2009 22:18:00 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 ESTSpin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/10http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-11-10/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-11-10/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-11-10/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Up
If there is one disc sure to fly off shelves this week, it's this one. The Pixar film made instant fans out of most viewers, and agonizingly ripped the rest of our hearts out with the love story opening. In her review, Jette Kernion said Up is "a very good movie that defies demographic categorization." By now, your minds are probably made, but if not: Buy it. Also on Blu-ray.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

The Ugly Truth
How do you follow up comments about Knocked Up being a little bit sexist? By producing and starring in a film that teaches a smart and successful woman the "ugly truth" of life from a notorious chauvinist, naturally. In his review, Jeffrey M. Anderson wrote that this romcom "actually knows next to nothing about dating advice, the behaviors of men and women, or much of anything else romantically human." Skip it and save yourself. Also on Blu-ray.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut
We all knew this was coming -- the step above the director's cut, the disc for uberfans of the graphic novel -- a version of the film with all of The Black Freighter interspersed as it was in print. Grab this, and you should have everything you need from the big-screen cinematic experience. If you adore all things Watchmen, Buy it. Also on Blu-ray.

Buy at Amazon

The Accidental Husband
When he wasn't spending time in Watchmen's blood and carnage, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was becoming Uma Thurman's Accidental Husband. Another one of those floofy romcoms, this flick takes Uma back to her Cats and Dogs days, but this time, she gets the radio show and the man. I imagine. Do you care? Skip it.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Also out: Robsessed, Love Finds a Home, A Christmas Proposal, The Christmas Clause, Spread, Summer's Moon, The Echo, Hurt, The Gambler, the Girl and the Gunslinger, The Line, Bad Guys

Continue reading Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/10

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]]>BallastCinematicalDVD RecommendationsDvdRecommendationsfeaturedThe Accidental HusbandThe Merry GentlemanThe Ugly TruthTheAccidentalHusbandTheMerryGentlemanTheUglyTruthUpWatchmen: The Ultimate CutWatchmen:TheUltimateCutMonika BartyzelTue, 10 Nov 2009 11:15:00 ESTFox to Bombard You with Random Facts During Moviehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/fox-to-bombard-you-with-random-facts-during-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/fox-to-bombard-you-with-random-facts-during-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/fox-to-bombard-you-with-random-facts-during-movie/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Fox is trying to sell more DVDs by adding Pop Up Video.

The Hollywood Reporter posts that the company is hoping to boost sales by "putting a new spin on interactivity, including harnessing the power of social networking" with a little system called "FoxPop." Not so much a "new spin," FoxPop is a downloadable computer program (works with Mac, PC, and iPhone) that will recognize the sounds of a film, immediately sync up, and give movie viewers a "constant barrage of facts, photos, games, and trivia questions related to the movie they are watching." In other words -- Pop Up Video on a separate screen you're welcome to ignore.

Fox's example of how it will work: "when a T. rex appears on the screen, for example, the user's iPhone would vibrate and ask how many bones that particular dino has. It will also tell what percentage answered the query correctly" while completely distracting them from the fun of the dino hunt. Social networking comes into play with the ability to make comments on the film with Facebook and Twitter that your friends will be able to see when they want to watch a movie. I see the last bits of our attention spans flying away into the ether of history...

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]]>CinematicalDVD salesDvdSalesFoxPoppopup videoPopupVideoMonika BartyzelMon, 09 Nov 2009 12:45:00 ESTWeekend Box Office: 'Christmas Carol' and 'Precious' Bow Bighttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/weekend-box-office-christmas-carol-and-precious-bow-big/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/weekend-box-office-christmas-carol-and-precious-bow-big/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/weekend-box-office-christmas-carol-and-precious-bow-big/#commentsFiled under: ,

I was considering a title pun on Richard Kelly getting Box-ed out -- which works on multiple levels!! -- but I couldn't pull the trigger. That, though, is my main concern this weekend, to be honest: I am heartbroken (though not surprised) that Kelly's wonderful, hugely ambitious sci-fi flick couldn't get a foothold at the box office. People at my Thursday night screening thought they had seen one of the worst movies ever, which I guess is what happens when you're led to expect harmless PG-13 horror and get something so radically different. I also suspect that Donnie Darko would have been similarly received had it opened on 2,600 screens instead of building its cult cred in mini-release and on DVD.

Anyway, The Boxearned $7.9 million -- not a total disaster for a $25 million movie, but not exactly a resume-builder for Kelly to the extent he has commercial ambitions. It was roundly defeated by the rest of the weekend's newcomers, most notably A Christmas Carol, which took first place with $31 million. That may not seem like a lot, but note that Zemeckis's The Polar Express opened to even less on its way to $180 million. I predict that A Christmas Carol, which looks wonderful on IMAX 3-D, will hold up well.

The weekend's other big winner was Precious, which Lionsgate pushed to an impressive $100,000 per-screen average on 18 screens. Even accounting for the very limited release, that's pretty strong; Brokeback Mountain-like numbers ($80-90 million) are probably within reach.

More, and the weekend top 10, after the jump.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: 'Christmas Carol' and 'Precious' Bow Big

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]]>A Christmas CarolAChristmasCarolpreciousprecious: based on the novel push by sapphirePrecious:BasedOnTheNovelPushBySapphirepush: based on the novel by sapphirePush:BasedOnTheNovelBySapphirerichard kellyRichardKellythe bourne ultimatumthe fourth kindThe men who stare at goatsTheBourneUltimatumTheFourthKindTheMenWhoStareAtGoatsweekend box officeWeekendBoxOfficeEugene NovikovMon, 09 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTReview: The Men Who Stare at Goatshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/the-men-who-stare-at-goats-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/the-men-who-stare-at-goats-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/the-men-who-stare-at-goats-review/#commentsFiled under: , ,



We're told at the beginning of The Men Who Stare at Goats that "more of this is true than you would believe." But the story of the U.S. Army's attempts to harness psychic powers to create super-soldiers is so bizarre it almost HAS to be true, in accordance with the "how could anyone make this up?" principle. In fact, I believe more of this admittedly fictionalized story than I do of The Fourth Kind, which claims to be 100 percent true. Surely there's a lesson in there.

Based on Jon Ronson's nonfiction book, The Men Who Stare at Goats stars Ewan McGregor as Bob Wilton, a journalist covering the Iraq War in 2003. Bob meets a man named Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a private contractor with an unusual past: He claims to have worked for the government as a psychic spy. Bob once met a man, back home in Michigan (played by Stephen Root), who made the same claims, and who named Lyn Cassady as one of his colleagues.

You can see why the military would be interested in psychic spying. Surveillance is a lot less dangerous when you can do it entirely with your mind, rather than having to actually sneak up and eavesdrop on people. And if we could harness things like telekinesis, well, forget about it! We'd beat the Russkies for sure!

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]]>ewan mcgregorEwanMcgregorgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjeff bridgesJeffBridgeskevin spaceyKevinSpaceythe men who stare at goatsTheMenWhoStareAtGoatsEric D. SniderSat, 07 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTRobert Pattinson Talks 'Breaking Dawn' & 'Unbound Captives'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/robert-pattinson-talks-breaking-dawn-and-unbound-captives/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/robert-pattinson-talks-breaking-dawn-and-unbound-captives/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/07/robert-pattinson-talks-breaking-dawn-and-unbound-captives/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Good news, Twilight fans. You have the first official news for the fourth Twilight installment, courtesy of our own Jen Yamato, FearNet and the New Moon junket.* The magically-coiffed Robert Pattinson has confirmed that Breaking Dawn will begin filming in Fall 2010, and that it's penciled into his schedule for next year.

Of course, Dawn remains unconfirmed by Summit. The most controversial installment of the Twilight series, rumors swirl that the studio is hesitant to take it to the big screen. If it is made, it seems likely that it could be split into two films a'la Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Personally, I don't see Summit risking the money they'd make on #4, and they'll find a way to steer around the gorier aspects of the book. But now you know when to look for it, though you still have the madness of Eclipse pre-production to get through.

Pattinson also dished on the movie I want to mark on my calender (Sorry, I dig boots and spurs more than vampires), a Western called Unbound Captives. The directorial debut of Madeleine Stowe, it stars Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Pattinson. The young heartthrob revealed that it's tenatively scheduled to begin shooting in early 2010, and he sounds enthusiastic for a role that'll be miles away from Edward Cullen. "I'm playing a kid who is kidnapped by Comanches when he was four years old, and he is brought up by them. His mother spends her entire life trying to find me and my sister. When she finds us, we can't remember who she is and can't remember anything about the Western culture she grew up in. I speak Comanche the whole movie. You can't really speak more differently from Edward."

[Special thanks also goes to Collider who apparently pried the Breaking Dawn date out of Mr. Pattinson]

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]]>Breaking DawnBreakingDawnfeaturedhugh jackmanHughJackmanmadeleine stoweMadeleineStoweNew MoonNewMoonrachel weiszRachelWeiszrobert pattinsonRobertPattinsonSummit EntertainmentSummitEntertainmentThe Twilight SagaThe Twilight Saga Breaking Dawnthe twilight saga: new moonTheTwilightSagaTheTwilightSaga:NewMoonTheTwilightSagaBreakingDawntwilightunbound captivesUnboundCaptivesElisabeth RappeSat, 07 Nov 2009 00:50:00 ESTRoland Emmerich May or May Not Blow Up the World Againhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/roland-emmerich-may-or-may-not-blow-up-the-world-again/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/roland-emmerich-may-or-may-not-blow-up-the-world-again/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/06/roland-emmerich-may-or-may-not-blow-up-the-world-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

At a press junket earlier this summer for 2012, Roland Emmerich told reporters he's not doing any more blow-'em-up flicks. "I would not know how to top this... It's just one of these things, you know. I had a hard time deciding to do another disaster movie, but... you cannot make a disaster movie if there's not something --- an idea in this disaster which elevates it to something more than a disaster. And so it was this idea, you know, that there will be a global flood and it's a retelling of Noah's Arc."

Later he added, "It's not my last film, it's my last disaster film. And that's because I wouldn't know what else to do. It's just, you know what, I really didn't want to do this movie at first... But when I decided that the idea was too good to not do it for the reason I had done before, I said, okay, if I do it, I will do it in such a spectacular manner that nobody can top it for a long time. I have that pride in my work."

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]]>2012anonymousindependence dayindependence day 2IndependenceDayIndependenceDay2Roland EmmerichRolandEmmerichsequelshakespeareJenni MillerFri, 06 Nov 2009 19:02:00 ESTReview: A Christmas Carolhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/a-christmas-carol-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/a-christmas-carol-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/a-christmas-carol-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The fear many of us had when it was announced Jim Carrey would play Ebenezer Scrooge and other parts in Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of A Christmas Carol was that Carrey's clowning would turn the story into a goofy farce. This fear turns out to have been unfounded. If anything, the opposite is true: The film has no personality at all, not Carrey's or anyone else's.

Charles Dickens' holiday classic has already been adapted for movies and TV dozens of times, but Zemeckis noticed something peculiar: Somehow, none of the previous incarnations had managed to be in 3-D! He sought to rectify this oversight with that newfangled motion-capture technology he's been so excited about the last several years, where actors' movements are translated into animation. The Polar Express and Beowulf demonstrated that for as neat-o as the technology is for action scenes, characters' faces -- especially their eyes -- look dead and soulless. Some improvement has been made in that respect, but most of the people in A Christmas Carol still look like creepy robots.

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]]>a christmas carolAChristmasCaroljim carreyJimCarreyrobert zemeckisRobertZemeckisEric D. SniderThu, 05 Nov 2009 21:45:00 ESTIndie Roundup: 'Splinterheads,' 'Ghost World,' 'Devil'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/indie-roundup-splinterheads-ghost-world-devil/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/indie-roundup-splinterheads-ghost-world-devil/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/indie-roundup-splinterheads-ghost-world-devil/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cinematical's Indie Roundup for the Week of 11/3

Clockwise from upper left: Splinterheads, Ghost World, An Education, House of the Devil.

Opening. Amiable and pleasant, Splinterheads revolves around a romance between Justin (Thomas Middleditch), an aimless small town dreamer, and Galaxy (Rachael Taylor), a gorgeous grifter who (literally) bumps into him at a gas station. She's more interested in separating him from his money than getting to know the lunkhead within, while he quickly decides that he's met the love of his life -- or, even better, a reason to leave his upstate New York world behind and start living for himself instead of his mother and grandfather.

Brent Sersen (Blackballed) is a better director than writer; the characters hold few surprises and the plot's trajectory threatens to die of old age before it reaches its pre-ordained conclusion. Still, he takes advantage of a visiting carnival and the grifter's obsession with geocaching, a variation on treasure hunting, to string together several lyrical interludes and enough laughs to deserve a recommendation. Dean Winters, Lea Thompson, and Christopher McDonald provide reliable support. Splinterheads opens in New York on Friday and expands to other cities the following week; check the official site for theaters and showtimes. Also opening in New York the same day: Collapse, Chris Smith's latest doc (more from last week and the exclusive poster debut).

On-Demand / Online Viewing. Terry Zwigoff's adaptation of Daniel Clowes' graphic novel Ghost World departs from the source material quite abruptly, but still remains faithful to the dark spirit of loneliness that haunts the characters. Thora Birch, Scarlett Johannson, and Steve Buscemi star. It's now available on FilmBuff, Cinetic's cable on-demand channel; check local listings to watch this essential indie at home.

After the jump: Who educated the devil?

Continue reading Indie Roundup: 'Splinterheads,' 'Ghost World,' 'Devil'

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]]>brent sersenBrentSersenghost worldGhostWorldhouse of the devilHouseOfTheDevilindie roundupindie weekend box officeIndieRoundupIndieWeekendBoxOfficesplinterheadsterry zwigoffTerryZwigoffti westTiWestPeter MartinWed, 04 Nov 2009 17:10:00 ESTYou Do Not Talk About 'Fight Club' and Its New Blu-ray Websitehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/fight-club-and-its-blu-ray-website/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/fight-club-and-its-blu-ray-website/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/fight-club-and-its-blu-ray-website/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I am Jack's raging annoyance.

If you haven't heard yet, Fight Club is finally hitting Blu-ray on November 17, jam-packed full features including new bits about sound design, a search index, a bajillion commentaries, those great PSA's, and behind-the-scenes fare. In other words: a must-have disc if it is even half as good as it sounds. (Read the press release after the jump.)

To kick off the event, a new website has been created at www.welcometofc.com. As Coming Soon says: "The site connects to your Facebook and... you'll have to see what happens next!" For me, that means 30 minutes of annoyance as it "loads" whilst phrases get spray-painted on the wall over, and over, and over again. Marketers might be trying new techniques to connect with the audience, but something tells me that grating on their audience's last nerve is not one of them. With the help of Horror Squad writer Alison Nastasi, I found out this is what happens: You need to have an account with pictures, and then the website will create a video with Fight Club highlights and classic text laid over the photos in your account.

If Tyler Durden and his more passive self were ever told to sign up for a popular website notorious for shady practices, they'd ... well, there'd be big acts of vandalism, maybe some hacking, and possibly even an unsanitary soup or two. The first-come, first-serve soap that came with the big DVD release years ago, that was a cool marketing twist.

Nevertheless, this release is yet another reason to go Blu-ray.

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]]>cinematicalFight ClubFightClubMonika BartyzelWed, 04 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST'Twilight' Barbie and Other Bad Movie Tie-inshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/twilight-barbie-and-other-bad-movie-tie-ins/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/twilight-barbie-and-other-bad-movie-tie-ins/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/twilight-barbie-and-other-bad-movie-tie-ins/#commentsFiled under: ,

The countdown has begun, and we are just 17 short days away from the arrival of the vamp-romance, New Moon, so why not celebrate by re-enacting some of your favorite scenes with your very own Bella and Edward? That's right, Mattell has released Edward and Bella Barbie as part of the Twilight Barbie Collection, but for those of you on Team Jacob, you will be sad to discover that he hasn't gotten a doll yet (although the thought of the additional 'werewolf' Jacob could be fun).

Now, considering some of the other Twilight themed products we have been subjected to, a couple of Barbie dolls don't seem so bad, I mean at least they are age-appropriate. The dolls are modeled after the infamous 'sparkling reveal' from the first film, but when I took a look at the final product my first question was: "Who the heck are these two people supposed to be?" I've seen Twilight and even I wouldn't have recognized Bella and Edward.

But I'm sure that is not going to stop you hard-core collectors out there, so head over to Walmart.com or Barbiecollector.com where you can buy them online for the suggested retail price of $24.95 -- but something tells me you are going to have to act fast.

After the jump: more recent examples of bad movie tie-in toys...

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]]>Barack ObamaBarackObamabellaEdward CullenEdwardCullenfeaturedNew MoonNewMoonrocky balboaRockyBalboaSpider-Man 3Spider-man3Star Wars The Clone WarsStarWarsTheCloneWarsterminator salvationTerminatorSalvationtwilighttwilight barbieTwilightBarbieJessica BarnesTue, 03 Nov 2009 17:15:00 ESTWhat the Stars and Director of '2012' Think About 2012http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/what-the-stars-and-director-of-2012-think-about-2012/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/what-the-stars-and-director-of-2012-think-about-2012/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/what-the-stars-and-director-of-2012-think-about-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

2012


We've already explored the history of 2012 here on Cinematical and what you need to know to see the movie (hint: the world might blow up!), but here's what 2012 stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, and Woody Harrelson and director Roland Emmerich have to say about the end of the world. Do they believe the world will end with a whimper or a bang, T. S. Eliot-style? Will we go out in fire or in ice? Do they even believe the world will end in 2012? Let's find out.

Roland Emmerich: It's always great if you find some sort of belief people have and put it in your movies, as fantastic as they may be. For example, Independence Day, I used Area 51 and centered my whole story around Area 51 because I found out in my research that people really believed in it. And in this movie, as we discovered the phenomenon of 2012, because some culture, the Mayas, gave the end of the world a date. An exact date. The 21st of December, 2012. And that's just so incredible and so interesting that a lot of people are fascinated by it and there's believers; there's people like you [who] just find it fascinating. I hope it will not happen. But when you research it a little bit deeper, you kind of find a lot of other cultures [that] believe the same thing. They only don't put an exact date to it, but they have other predictions which all point to 2012. It's quite eerie...

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]]>2012Chiwetel EjioforChiwetelEjioforinterviewjohn cusackJohnCusackRoland EmmerichRolandEmmerichThandie NewtonThandieNewtonWoody HarrelsonWoodyHarrelsonJenni MillerTue, 03 Nov 2009 13:32:00 ESTBah, Humbug. It's Too Early For 'A Christmas Carol'!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/bah-humbug-its-too-early-for-a-christmas-carol/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/bah-humbug-its-too-early-for-a-christmas-carol/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/bah-humbug-its-too-early-for-a-christmas-carol/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We've all lamented the way that Christmas decorations, candies, and wrapping paper start appearing on store shelves between fake pumpkins and cheesecloth ghosts. In some stores, the Christmas stuff appears as early as July or August. But when it comes to our local multiplex, we're generally safe from holly and plum pudding until it's actually cold outside. Not this year.

Being entertainment fiends, I'm sure that the last week found most of you were tuning into AMC, IFC, and other assorted channels to check out their horror selections. You were also undoubtedly watching your favorite television shows, football teams, and following the World Series. I'll bet that you saw the tv spots for A Christmas Carol around ten times a day. Possibly more than that given all the games. Did you feel a cold chill run down your spine?

I did, and it wasn't caused by a pocky Jim Carrey or the possibility of Robert Zemeckis' mo-cap dead eyes. It was the fact that my jack o'lantern was flickering on my kitchen counter, bell jars of bones were decorating the top of my television, and Shadow of the Vampire was beckoning from my DVR. It was Halloween weekend. Even after October ticked down to its last gasp and we fell back, it was still autumn. It's harvest time. It's heartwrenching drama time, the real start of the Oscar race. It's time for The Road, The Men Who Stare At Goats and the Coens. It is not Christmastime. I don't care what the Three Spirits try to tell me, or whether Tiny Tim wants God to bless us, every one. I'm not going to listen until December 1. Perhaps I'll miss a great 3D thrill ride and the velvet voice of Colin Firth, but I'm not ready for snow and Dickensian morality just yet. Are you?

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]]>A Christmas CarolAChristmasCarolcharles dickensCharlesDickensColin FirthColinFirthDisneyDisneys A Christmas CarolDisneysAChristmasCaroljim carreyJimCarreyRobert ZemeckisRobertZemeckisElisabeth RappeTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:45:00 ESTCinematical Uncovers the Secret Side of Disneylandhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/cinematical-uncovers-the-secret-side-of-disneyland/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/cinematical-uncovers-the-secret-side-of-disneyland/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/cinematical-uncovers-the-secret-side-of-disneyland/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


In spite of what some internet pundits and self-righteous types would have you believe, being a film critic and entertainment journalist does not mean you're handed the keys to Hollywood along with your W-9. Attending screenings and junkets, transcribing interviews, and spending the vast majority of every single day (all day) sitting in front of a computer is far more exhausting than one might expect. In which case, the rare and unique opportunity to have fun and see some truly exclusive stuff is always welcome.

About two weeks ago Disney invited Cinematical to join a small group of print and online journalists for a press day in conjunction with their upcoming return to hand-drawn animation, The Princess and the Frog. In addition to conducting interviews with Ron Clements and John Musker, the guys not only responsible for Princess, but The Little Mermaid as well, our group took a tour of Disney's storied Animation Research Library, and even spent a little time at Disneyland itself on an exclusive behind the scenes tour.

Continue reading Cinematical Uncovers the Secret Side of Disneyland

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]]>disneydisney animation research libraryDisneyAnimationResearchLibrarydisneylandjohn muskerJohnMuskerron clementsRonClementsthe princess and the frogThePrincessAndTheFrogTodd GilchristMon, 02 Nov 2009 20:40:00 ESTWeekend Box Office: Long Live the King of Pophttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/weekend-box-office-long-live-the-king-of-pop/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/weekend-box-office-long-live-the-king-of-pop/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/weekend-box-office-long-live-the-king-of-pop/#commentsFiled under: ,

Michael Jackson's This is It was the only new wide release this weekend, and essentially had the box office to itself. This may seem weird, but this is as it should be -- and it has more to do with Halloween falling on a Saturday than with any show of respect for the King of Pop. Predictably, This is It won the weekend, grossing $21.3 million for a total of $32.5 million since its Wednesday opening. That's a good number, and monumental for a documentary, though it is also an instance where the studio's hype machine may have led people astray.

Those who read the breathless press releases about the trumped-up advance ticket sales frenzy surrounding This Is It may be disappointed (or in any case surprised) by these figures. But over $30 million in five days for a concert documentary is nothing to sneeze at -- and I don't think that expecting much more was reasonable. (As a footnote, too, the movie made nearly $70 million outside of North America -- which also makes sense.)

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day bowed on 68 screens and grossed just under half a million in 16th place, which isn't bad, really -- confirming the small cult following for Boondock Saints that everyone already knew existed. Among holdovers, Paranormal Activity continued to add screens, and continued to hold up well -- it should break $100 million by this time next week. Saw VI and Where the Wild Things Are both suffered drops over 60%; Wild Things will top out around $70 million (pretty good for an art film), while Saw VI will wind up making around (or just over) half of the next lowest grosser in the franchise. Will the next one go straight to DVD? (Probably not, but it might be time to start asking the question.)

The full top 10 after the jump.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: Long Live the King of Pop

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]]>featuredmichael jacksonmichael jacksons this is itMichaelJacksonMichaelJacksonsThisIsItparanormal activityParanormalActivitysaw viSawVithe boondock saints II: all saints dayTheBoondockSaintsIi:AllSaintsDaythis is itThisIsItWhere the Wild Things AreWhereTheWildThingsAreEugene NovikovMon, 02 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST