Posts with tag AmberHeard
Heather Graham is an 'Ex-terminator'
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Independent », Casting », Cinematical Indie »
You know, they say that you shouldn't go into business with family and friends. Yet many people still do, and many people also begin to take the advice to heart sooner or later. But what about people you meet in a support group? That sounds totally rational, doesn't it? Let's take it a bit further -- imagine you go into business with strangers you know all have anger issues. It sounds like hell in real life, but may make for a funny film on the big screen.Variety reports that Heather Graham, Jennifer Coolidge, Matthew Settle (the cool art dad from Gossip Girl), and Amber Heard have signed on to star in a new black dramedy called Ex-terminators, which was written by Suzanne Weinert, and will be the feature directorial debut for Scrubs helmer John Inwood. So yes, this film will focus on "three women who meet in an anger-management therapy group and decide to form a traditional business using very untraditional methods."
This is feeling like one of those projects that could very easily be good, and just as easily be stereotypical and over-the-top bad. Whichever it ends up being, I imagine it will have a healthy dose of quirk involved, considering all the time Inwood has spent on Scrubs. Production began last week in Austin.
Review: Never Back Down
Filed under: Action », Theatrical Reviews »
For all of the traditional complaints lodged against film critics -- too pointy-headed, too snooty, unable to enjoy a movie on the level of the simple pleasures it may present -- I worry that what I'm about to say may harm my standing in the field; namely, I liked Never Back Down. No, it's not The Battle of Algiers or Jules et Jim; it's a movie where good-looking 20-somethings playing good-looking teens offer American moviegoers the exciting prospect of Mixed Martial Arts action without the daunting possibility they might have to read subtitles. It's far below the fights-and-fury quality of Donnie Yen's Flash Point, another MMA action flick opening in limited release as Never Back Down splashes up on movie screens across America. And yet, Never Back Down seems to know what it is, and executes the rote and required moments in a film like this -- a template set by movies like The Karate Kid and Rocky and a dozen others -- with a certain amount of style and exuberance. Never Back Down revolves around good-looking people beating the holy hell out of each other; it doesn't pretend to be much more than that, and while the pleasures it offers are modest, it nonetheless delivers them.
Amber Heard and Chris Isaak Are Also 'Informers'
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Newsstand »
If films could be a success based on the cast alone, I would say that The Informers was on its way to wonderful cinema. News about the project first came in May, and since then, the cast has slowly been coming together in a great, eclectic sort of way. This isn't some sort of Ocean's wonder-project of hunks, but rather a collection of randomness that looks pretty darned tasty -- the first batch had Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Brandon Routh, Ashley Olsen, Jon Foster, Austin Nichols, and Lou Taylor Pucci, and then along came Winona Ryder and Mickey Rourke. Now The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Amber Heard and Chris Isaak have joined the cast.Heard, who is the object of affection in the upcoming horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, is said to be playing "a sexually promiscuous woman caught up in the decadence of the 1980s." This is pretty much what Ashley Olsen's character description was, so I wonder if she's become the Full House alum's replacement, or perhaps a fellow sexual cohort. As for Isaak, whose last film was John Waters' A Dirty Shame, the crooner will play "a sex-and-alcohol-obsessed father who takes his young son to Hawaii." The film is currently shooting in Los Angeles, and then it will journey to Uruguay and Buenos Aires to finish up.
Djimon Hounsou Will Star in 'Get Some'
Filed under: Drama », Casting »
There's a little film called Get Some gearing up for production that is being called a "teenage Fight Club." Hmm ... A movie about teens beating the crap out of each other ... how uplifting! The film will follow a "rebellious" kid, played by Sean Faris (Yours, Mine and Ours), who is having troubles fitting into his new school. Somehow, he gets lured into an underground fight club along the way. Now, the Palahniuk, adult version of this tale had grown men pummeling each other to find strength, meaning and reason to their lackluster lives -- and for the main guy -- a little mental clarity. If this takes on the same tone, I won't be surprised if some parents get a bit ticked off. As we learned last month, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane star Amber Heard had signed on to co-star as a girl whose "loyalties are put to the test when her boyfriend severely beats up Faris' character." Now, Variety reports that Djimon Hounsou (recent Oscar nominee for Blood Diamond) is also starring in the drama, although there is no word on his role. Since it's a starring role, I would imagine that he's either going to be a teacher at the school that's instrumental in trying to stop this, or a fight-hungry man instrumental in getting this all together -- or maybe a blending of both. The film will begin shooting in July, directed by Jeff Wadlow, from a script by Chris Hauty and Robert Munic. I, for one, am interested to see what they make of this premise, because it really needs to walk the fine line, unless there is a surprise twist and all the guys are pillow fighting. My question: Fight Club inspired middle-aged men to toughen up with their own underground clubs. Will the same happen in high schools across the country?
'Mandy Lane' Will Hit Theaters on July 20
Filed under: Horror », Distribution »
Last September, I was lucky enough to make it out to the midnight madness TIFF screening of All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, the horror homage by first-time-feature director Jonathan Levine. You might remember James Rocchi's glowing review of the film here. After a long period of quiet on the movie front, Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Dimenson Films is finally sending the flick to theaters this July 20th -- less than a month away! If you don't find this news exciting, you might want to give Mandy Lane another chance.The premise is simple -- Mandy, played wonderfully by Amber Heard -- is the easily-loved popular girl who is admired by all men, and loved by the popular and loner alike. However, there's a bit of darkness that surrounds the girl -- the film starts with a death due to her appeal -- which is never good when kids are planning for a weekend in seclusion. She, her unpopular best friend and some group of popular kids head to a ranch and start getting picked off while Levine channels a bunch of horror films from the past. Heck, there are even a few scenes that were even dead-on homages to Dazed and Confused. While it is, by no means, immensely original, it's entertaining in a way that many of the current horror movies aren't. Then again, I'd take Scream over the present torture porn films any day. Besides, after all the sequels this summer that haven't quite lived up to hype, wouldn't something a bit different be a nice change of pace?
Amber Heard Is Ready to 'Get Some'
Filed under: Drama », Romance », Casting », Deals »
21 year-old Amber Heard has just landed another starring role in Get Some, a teen drama that will be directed by Jeff Wadlow, who helmed the 2005 horror film Cry_Wolf. The story of Get Some is being described as, believe it or not, a teenage version of Fight Club, although presumably with not with enough blood to earn an R-rating. Sean Faris will also star in the film as an Iowa teen who moves to Florida and gets involved with the underground club. According to HR, Heard will play a young lady whose "loyalties are put to the test when her boyfriend severely beats up Faris' character." I guess that means she takes pity on the guy who can't cut the mustard and romance blooms. The film was written by Chris Hauty, whose most recent credit is the 1996 film Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco.
Get Some is only the latest of several films that Heard has signed on for, but that haven't gotten around to being released yet. She's also the lead in the much talked-about horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which premiered last year at the Toronto film festival, and she recently signed on for The Pineapple Express, with James Franco and Seth Rogan. If that's not enough, she's also got a TV deal going, starring in Hidden Palms, a Kevin Williamson series that premieres tonight. So get used to the name Amber Heard -- you're going to be hearing it for a while.
'The Pineapple Express' Gains a Sexy New Passenger
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Sony »
When I say the name David Gordon Green, I bet you don't think of stoner comedies or action flicks, do you? (Reminder: Mr. Green wrote and directed George Washington, All the Real Girls, Undertow and the upcoming Snow Angels -- none of which could be described as "pot comedies" or "action flicks" by any stretch of the most creative imagination.) But last November Monika informed us that, yep, it was David Gordon Green who'd be helming the Seth Rogen / Evan Goldberg / Judd Apatow screenplay.And if you're familiar with those last three names, then you're already more than a little intrigued by what this specific collaboration might yield. Rogen and James Franco will play a pair of pot-smokin' pals who run afoul of an unpleasant drug gang. The Hollywood Reporter reports (obviously) that Amber Heard has just been cast in the role of Rogen's pot-hating girlfriend, which is just fine by me because I saw this gal play Mandy Lane in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane and let's just say all the boys love her for very good reason.
Color me intrigued. If the Apatow / Green combo weren't enough to pique my interest, there's the fact that Rogen's freakin' hilarious (just wait till you people see Knocked Up), Heard is adorable, and I don't think I've ever seen James Franco in a comedy. An intentional comedy, anyway.
USA Today Crowns New Generation of Scream Queens
Filed under: Horror », Fandom », Lists »
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I'm not really sure what to think of USA Today's unexpected list of up-and-coming scream queens, but I have to start by pointing out that they felt it necessary to consult a representative from Troma on this matter. I mean, come on -- Troma? Are we really looking to the geniuses behind Poultrygeist for insights into future of the horror genre? Has it come to that? Okay, moving on. The first choice on their list is Rob Zombie's 36-year-wife, Sheri Moon, who has appeared in some of his movies, I guess. I don't know how that qualifies her as a scream queen in any way -- it seems like the simplest requirement of a scream queen is that she's college-age or thereabouts. If we're going to shoot for late-30s, then Dina Meyer should be on the list. Also on their list is Cerina Vincent, who I have the vaguest memory of in Cabin Fever and who co-starred in an Edward Furlong horror movie called Intermedio, which I've heard about but haven't seen. Then there's Tiffany Shepis, a bonafied Troma girl whose IMDB credits include Pauly Shore is Dead, Hoodoo for Voodoo and National Lampoon's Boobies. Yeesh.
I think a more useful definition of a scream queen than someone who has racked up four or five straight-to-video credits in the last two years is an actress who has actually given an impactful, memorable performance in a horror film that was actually scary. With that in mind, I would nominate Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi, the female leads from Wolf Creek, for any scream queen title. Wolf Creek was a movie where the screaming came fast and furious and in a truly horrifying situation -- I still have nightmares about that one and a lot of its success was because of those performances. Also, how about Jess Weixler, the star of the Sundance hit Teeth, or Amber Heard from All the Boys Love Mandy Lane? I haven't seen either of those films yet, but I've at least heard a lot about them -- more so than 99 percent of the credits listed in this article.
SDCC Panel: Robert Rodriguez's 'Red Sonja'
Review: The X-Files: I Want To Believe
Live from SDCC: Preview Night Gallery!
Live from SDCC: Time to Get Our Con On!
Discuss: Wednesday is the New Friday
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