Hilary Swank Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Cinematical Seven: Silliest Disaster Scenarios
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », New Line », Paramount », 20th Century Fox », Cinematical Seven », Lists »
We both know that I could probably fill all seven slots of this list with just scenes from Roland Emmerich's disaster-tastic 2012, but in the interests of letting everyone else get a chance to see it, let's stick with films that have already come and gone. Some of these titles qualify because of the uniquely ridiculous nature of their disasters, while others count for what ridiculous plots unfold amidst otherwise ordinarily perilous acts of nature.
There will be a couple of spoilers to go along with our picks, but since most of these have been out for a couple of years, it's not like it's the end of the world...
Review: Amelia
Filed under: Drama », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », Fox Searchlight »
The new biopic about Amelia Earhart, Amelia, succeeds in portraying the famous aviatrix in a whole new light ... as a mundane soap-opera character with relationship issues. The movie looks beautiful and is obviously being released now with Oscar hopes, but it is a dull, uninspired recounting of the less interesting parts of Earhart's life.
The plot is structured around Earhart's final attempt at flying around the world, then flashes back to tell her story starting from her first meeting with George P. Putnam (Richard Gere) in 1927 about a transatlantic flight, and looping back to that final flight and the mystery surrounding it, in 1937. It's a standard structure for biographical films, but is confusing at times. For one thing, I couldn't tell you whether the round-the-world attempt that the film flashes forward to periodically is her first one, or her last one. Near the end, they start to blend confusingly. The film also includes a lot of voice-over from Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank), which I presume is probably taken from her real-life letters and diaries.
When Pictures Ruin Our Expectations
Filed under: Movie Marketing », Images »
Movie marketing is a dangerous business, especially in these here Internet days with fanboys and girls salivating for more more more and getting it in the blink of an eye. It's got to be hard to toe the line between whetting appetites and oversaturation, and we know that the studios don't always exceed. Every bit of information, every clip, and every image brings a production closer to the enough already boiling point.But sometimes that horror seems to come in at minute one. While a pre-trailer image is supposed to excite us, it can also be the kiss of death. Remember Hilary Swank's many Amelia images? They certainly weren't inspiring confidence in the film, especially when facing off against Amy Adams' incarnation. A first-glimpse can be amazing and awe-invoking, but it can so easily bring disappointment.
After many stills and peeks at Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia abs, Entertainment Weekly has posted the first official image of the actor as Prince Dastan, while Empire has landed the first two posters (check them out below, and in larger form over at Empire) for the film. I really like most of Jake's work, and even (somehow) enjoy The Day After Tomorrow, but looking at these images makes me think they're pictures of Halloween costumes. He's got the strength, no doubt, but the hair and the overall look ... I'm not itching to see more, but am hoping trailers and the film itself will prove me wrong.
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Looking at the bigger picture -- Do you find these first-release images help your excitement for a film, or do they, all too often, incite apprehension?
The Trailer for 'Amelia' Takes Flight
Filed under: Drama », Romance », 20th Century Fox », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
A biopic of Amelia Earhart is like every girl's dream come true. Did any woman not grow up idolizing her, spend hours covering her gorgeous flight jackets, and wondering just where her plane vanished to? She has a story just made for the big screen, and if there was an actress who could pull it off, I do think it's Hilary Swank. She has the physical resemblance, and I know she has the talent, if only because I still love her as Maggie Fitzgerald.
Unfortunately, I'm not seeing much promise in Amelia. The first trailer for Mira Nair's biopic has gone online at Yahoo! Movies. (I've embedded a version below the jump to make it easier, but be sure to go visit Yahoo! for the HD version.) While it's beautifully costumed and lushly filmed, it looks a little too teary and overwrought. Admittedly, my image of Earhart is one filtered through the Golden Age of celebrity, and I picture her as a flying Rosalind Russell / Girl Friday type. I've never forgotten a National Geographic blurb I read about her, which described her calmly powdering her nose after one of her plane crashes. That's the kind of biopic I want ... one that has humor and the adventure of the times, not one that's gloom and "You're going to die!" doom from the get go. I'll continue to hold out hope for it, as it has a great cast, and I want it to bring back 1920s and 30s fashion.
This Decade's Oscar Winner Batting Averages
Filed under: Awards »
It was last night's Meryl Streep chit-chat that got me to thinking; Hell, 15 nominations is impressive enough, and she's even won the dang Oscar twice! For Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice. But while in the lovely land of Hollywood that's a track record to be amazingly proud of, the simple truth is that, in the land of baseball, Meryl Streep would be batting a lusty .133. I've seen American League pitchers who can bat .133!
And that silly thought led to the next logically silly one: If Meryl Streep is batting .133, who ELSE is batting poorly? And conversely ... who's leading the league? Now, I've got to limit eligibility to those who've been nominated at least three times, because otherwise we'd have Anna Paquin as Mickey Mantle. And I'm limiting this project to actors only, because that way one can squeeze another post or two out of this lame concept if people actually like it.
1.000* -- Hilary Swank (2 for 2); Kevin Spacey (2 for 2)
.500 -- Daniel Day-Lewis (2 for 4)
.400 -- Sean Penn (2 for 5); Tom Hanks (2 for 5); Denzel Washington (2 for 5);
.333 -- Maggie Smith (2 for 6); Tommy Lee Jones (1 for 3); Helen Mirren (1 for 3); Philip Seymour Hoffman (1 for 3); Marisa Tomei (1 for 3); Alan Arkin (1 for 3); Renee Zellweger (1 for 3); Kathy Bates (1 for 3); Geoffrey Rush (1 for 3); Julia Roberts (1 for 3); Russell Crowe (1 for 3)
.285 -- Michael Caine (2 for 7)
.250 -- Jack Nicholson (3 for 12); Julie Christie (1 for 4); Cate Blanchett (1 for 4); William Hurt (1 for 4); Frances McDormand (1 for 4); Morgan Freeman (1 for 4); Ben Kingsley (1 for 4); Diane Keaton (1 for 4); Holly Hunter (1 for 4); Jon Voight (1 for 4);
More after the jump
Casting Bites: Jason Segel Gets Wee in 'Gulliver's Travels' and More!
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Drama », Thrillers », Casting », Remakes and Sequels », War »
We've all seen the many ways that Jason Segel is a big dude, but now he's gearing up to see what life is like on the other side. The Hollywood Reporter posts that he's in talks to sign onto Jack Black's Gulliver's Travels along with Emily Blunt. Black's Gulliver washes up on the island of Lilliput, where people are only 6 inches tall, and befriends a wee one named Horatio (Segel). Horatio not only has the honor of having a friend who can squash him -- he's also the love interest of the island's princess (Blunt). Lucky girl.In less lucky circles, Hilary Swank is no longer getting debonair love from Jeffrey Dean Morgan. After romancing it up in P.S. I Love You, THR posts that he's going to stalk her in The Resident. She'll play a young doc who nabs a loft in Brooklyn, only to find that her charming landlord (Morgan) is actually a psycho who pulls her into "a terrifying game of cat and mouse." They really lack the chemistry, so this should be an improvement.
Hilary Swank Gets Stalked by Her Landlord
Filed under: Thrillers », Casting », Scripts »
I've been pretty intrigued by Hilary Swank's collection of projects recently. She's picked up time as Amelia Earhart, been a backstabbing best friend, a lawyer inspired by her wrongfully convicted brother, and a woman who is French, or fat, or something. And now she's getting stalked.Variety reports that she's headlining a new flick called The Resident. The film, which heads into production next May, follows a doctor (Swank) who moves into a Brooklyn loft, just to find out that her new landlord is a stalker. The project is labeled as a thriller, so I guess that means peeping holes in the walls, and perhaps a hidden camera or two? It's amazing how a hole in the wall is seem as pervly-charming when it's teenage boys and a shower, but creepy if its a landlord. Anyhow... Antti J. Jokinen wrote the feature (which he will direct) with Robert Orr, and the pen behind the lovely S&M fest Secretary, Erin Cressida Wilson, whipped up a rewrite.
Now the only question that remains is how Swank will handle it. She's a unique package -- one that can shock up an amazing performance, but also wrap herself in some cinematic crap. Will this be another Lakeview Terrace or something more notable? This could go either way.
Hilary Swank Finds More Drama in Law School
Filed under: Drama », Casting »
If you're not so thrilled with the peeks of Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart, or her collection of more recent comedic fare, read on -- the Oscar-winning actress is taking another trip into the realm of the serious. Variety reports that Swank is going to star in a new film called Betty Anne Waters.Based on a true story, Swank gets to be a high school dropout who is convinced that her brother has been wrongfully convicted of murder. Rather than just whipping up buzz for her family member, she decides to take action. "In between raising kids and waiting tables, she worked her way through college and law school so she could represent her brother after he'd used up his attempts to appeal his conviction through public defenders." That's certainly one way to help!
While Swank's more recent interests haven't proved all that exciting, this project is sounding pretty intriguing. Added bonus: Tony Goldwyn, who's been busy lately directing TV episodes for shows like The L Word and Dexter, is directing the film. In fact, he's been working to get this made ever since the real story wrapped up in 2001 (on, of all days, September 11). At one point, Naomi Watts was attached, but now we get Swank.
Could this bring the actress Oscar #3?
Hilary Swank is a Bad Best Friend
Filed under: Comedy », Romance », Casting », Deals »
You think Hilary Swank would have learned her lesson after finding deep love that died way too early and left her with a suspenders scar. You'd also think she might be wary about her involvement in perky fare, since her forays into the genre haven't brought her as much success as her dramatic work. Guess not.Swank is going nuts scooping up projects to produce and star in. Earlier this month, she was looking at Fat, and now Variety reports that she wants to backstab her best friend. Along with producing partner Molly Smith she's grabbed Emily Giffin's debut novel, Something Borrowed. Instead of borrowing, say, a hairbrush, she's stealing her friend's man. This potential starring vehicle for the actress focuses on a "Manhattan attorney who becomes involved with her best friend's fiance following her 30th birthday." Yes, her best friend since elementary school. Oh, but before you think she's the only jerk -- the woman realizes she's in love with the man and sick of her manipulative friend. Wait. That's still jerky.
The project is out to writers, and Swank has already practiced one unhappy-lookin face (look to the upper right).
Amelia Earhart -- 'Night at the Museum'-Style
Filed under: Comedy », Remakes and Sequels », Images »
As you all know, Ben Stiller is taking on the wacky museum world once again for Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian. One of the big casting announcements for this sequel was Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart. Now you can see a glimpse of her as the famous pilot above, then check out one more below (featuring a few old friends) and others at TheBadandtheUgly (note: images possibly contain romantic subplot spoilers, so be warned). How cute is she?
I'm sorry Hilary, but I'm really digging the look of Adams as Earhart much more. I think the big difference between the two is that Adams seems completely natural as Amelia. Adams looks like she walked right out of the same time, whereas Swank's Amelia looks more costumed and much less natural -- at least, based on the images we've seen online.
The showdown of the Amelias will take place next year. Amelia is set to hit theaters some time in 2009, while Night at the Museum will hit screens on May 22, 2009. Which do you prefer?
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