JohnC.Reilly Tagged Articles at Cinematical

When Warren Ellis' Red was first optioned, I wasn't particularly excited. As readers have pointed out, Ellis has many books that would be more exciting to see on the big screen. The initial casting of Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman didn't inspire a lot of excitement, either. (I love both, but Willis as an ex-assassin? Hardly inspired.) But as Robert Schwentke has filled out his cast, things have gotten a lot more interesting. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mary-Louise Parker and John C. Reilly are in talks to join Red alongside Freeman, Willis, and Helen Mirren.

Reilly would play a retired CIA agent who is paranoid that everyone is out to kill him. Willis' predicament will naturally prove him right, and it's the frantic, nervous role that Reilly specializes in. Again, it's not the most inspired casting, but it's exciting to see Reilly finally land a comic book role. I like to see actors drawn into this world, even if it is in a more "standard" storyline.

Parker will play Willis' love interest, an ordinary employee of the federal pension office who becomes embroiled in his struggle to stay alive. As if relationships aren't hard enough, it's "Honey! My former employers are trying to kill me! Get your passport, we have to hide in Bruges." She is a talented actress, so I sincerely hope she gets a little more to do than run around and be frightened. Perhaps she can be trained in the arts of action by Mirren's character.

It's a really good cast so far, and there's undoubtedly more to come as Willis' opponents are lined up. This could be something a little more in the mold of A History of Violence, which would be a refreshing change from the flashy adaptation attempts like Wanted. Red is officially on my radar.

Leaving an early screening of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant this week, I heard an amazed teenage girl say to her companions, "It's, like, a vampire movie, but it's funny!" As if such a thing weren't possible. But then, the average teen was in kindergarten when Buffy was in its prime, and 80's movies like Fright Night and Once Bitten are ancient history. Funny vampires?! Who knew?

As Peter Hall says in his excellent Cinematical review of Cirque, it's a shame that this particular movie feels as if it were rushed out to take advantage of the current Twilight and True Blood fueled vamp renaissance. Based on the first three volumes of the popular kid-lit series by Darren Shan, the film bumps the twelve-year-old hero's age to 16 -- the better, one supposes, to promote the flick to the Twilight crowd, despite it being a piece with a completely different flavor, based on books for kids between the ages of 10 and 12.

If you think it's a stretch that Cirque's being marketed to the sparkly-vampire crowd, check out the design of one of the posters (above). Wow ... it's totally Robert Pattinson! Except that it's not. Take a look below, to see what actor Chris Massoglia really looks like in the movie.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant has the unfortunate fate of arriving at the height of the vampire resurgence. I fear a lot of potential movie goers will dismiss it as part of the wave, as a major studio (Universal) trying to rush an adaptation of a very popular young-adult book franchise in an attempt to capitalize on the Twilight demographic. And while I understand that sentiment, in this particular case it's a shame, because Paul Weitz' film stands tall whether it was made inside or outside this temporary rise in the vamp popularity. Remove the cynical marketing climate and The Vampire's Assistant is a charming, imaginative, and most importantly, very entertaining film for children, teens and adults alike.

Having not read any of the 12 books comprising author Darren Shan's young-adult Cirque Du Freak saga, I can't attest as to how faithful an adaptation it is, but the macabre world About a Boy director Paul Weitz has brought to life on film feels like the kind of mysterious wonderland I could have easily lost myself in as a child. That's not to say that The Vampire's Assistant is a children's film, far from it, but it's the kind of film that's full of content that's simultaneously adult and juvenile, the breed of subtle scripting that provides eye candy for teenagers and nostalgic mind candy for adults.

John C. Reilly is one of my most favorite actors working today. It's to the point that I'll watch a mediocre film just to see his performance in it. Case in point: Step Brothers. Not that it was a completely terrible movie, but I didn't love it. However, Reilly does some subtle things in it that just kill me. His added "Boats and Hoes" lyric during Will Ferrell's heartfelt song in the climax was one of the funniest moments in the movie. Then there's his brilliant understated role in The Promotion, a film that needs more attention.

But I digress. I met with Reilly after a screening of Fantastic Fest's premiere of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, in which he plays Larten Crepsley, a 200+ year old vampire. He's seen a lot during his lifetime, and he has a jaded outlook on it all. Find out what drew Reilly to the role in the full interview beyond the break, where he also talks about other roles he'd like to take on.

It's safe to say that every film starts out small, and that many of them then end up staying small for any number of reasons. Beyond that, only a lucky few make the leap to feature-length, and even then, it doesn't always turn out for the best. Saw was once a mere fraction of itself, a grimy and gritty little morality play unlikely to spawn a seriously successful franchise that just won't die. The minds behind Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow dedicated themselves for years to creating a low-budget trailer for the film, only to then be granted the chance to flesh out their pulpy serial throwback with millions more. Wouldn't you know it, District 9 just became the summer's least expected blockbuster to the tune of $100 million, and even that was born of a like-minded showcase reel.

And then there's Shane Acker, whose original short for 9 was a wordless little post-apocalyptic breath-taker that rightfully earned itself an Academy Award nomination in 2005. Once an expanded take garnered the support of a recognizable voice cast and producers like Tim Burton, his vision was well on its way to the big screen, and all things considered, it's a small wonder that this small wonder made it through the Hollywood machine with most (though not all) of its mystique intact...

Are you tired of vampires yet? Between HBO's True Blood, the CW's upcoming The Vampire Diaries, and of course, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the bloodsuckers are getting a ton of exposure. But finally a trailer for Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant arises over at Moviefone to put a new spin on the genre. It manages to recall the carnival scenes from The Lost Boys, while finally giving us something besides moody vampires who just want to have sex with humans and complain about how hard it is being an undead denizen of the night.

We premiered the poster yesterday, but now you can check out Ken Watanbe in all that funky makeup, a bearded Salma Hayek, a freaky looking Willem Dafoe, and of course, John C. Reilly as probably the most refreshing vampire to appear on screen since ... well, since Bela Lugosi. This trailer actually has me excited about the movie, which is based on the first three of Darren Shan's excellent series of "The Saga of Darren Shan" books, and is definitely not your tired old "boo hoo it's hard to be a vamp" storyline.

Head beyond the jump to watch the trailer right here, or head over to watch it in HD over on Moviefone ... and get ready to get Freaked this October 23.

Wonders never cease... At an early age, I got used to the strange looks from my friends when I listed the actors and stars I was most attracted to -- especially once I saw Dead Zone and became enamored with Christopher Walken. From then on, I steered clear of discussions about hot stars, or prepared for the horror-filled recoil if I did pipe in. It's gotten better over the years, but was never fully defeated until now.

I'm not sure how it's happened, but Nerve compiled a list of the "twenty sexiest ugly people alive" -- those people with unusual features who still have oodles of lusty charisma -- and none of my faves are on there. No Walken, Eric Roberts, Gary Oldman, Elias Koteas... I must be losing my touch. Instead, their picks in the movie world include Danny McBride, Danny Trejo, Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Steve Buscemi, and Mickey Rourke -- with the massacred face. Some of the guys I'm right there with, but man, Swinton? Not only did she make the list, but she's the only actress on there (excluding Sandra Bernhard's acting stints and Courtney Love's fleeting gigs). Ouch.

Do you agree with their picks? Better yet -- who are the names that hit you right to the core while passerby look on with confusion? And why? For years, I couldn't discern my own taste until a friend said: "You love larger than life men." And that was just it. When that charisma seeps out of the screen, no scar or sneer can fight it.

Do you have a favorite sexy ugly star, or are you purely a fan of the perfectly hot and symmetrical?

There are a lot of things I love about Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (the sight of Don Cheadle in a Stevie Wonder wig is worth the price of admission alone), but if I simply had to choose, the scene of a botched drug deal with Rahad Jackson (Alfred Molina) probably ranks as one of my favorite movie moments of all time. Why? Between the Night Ranger soundtrack and the sounds of Cosmo's cherry bombs going off in the background, I was right there with Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly) on the couch wanting to get the hell out of that living room. I get film geek goose pimples all over as the camera settles on Dirk (Mark Wahlberg), watching his face gradually realize how far he'd fallen. At the time, it even managed to convince me that Wahlberg might be an honest to goodness actor -- a notion he's been working hard to dissuade me from ever since.

Boogie Nights fun facts:

• Paul Thomas Anderson intended for further scenes involving Rahad Jackson (Molina) that would have had him going out in a blaze of gunfire when the cops arrived on the scene.
  
  
• There are numerous references to John Holmes in the film, but this sequence is loosely based on the infamous Wonderland murders that centered on Holmes and gangster Eddie Nash in real life.

Hearing that Kevin Kline is starring in a new film always sets off my alarm, eagerly hoping for something like The Anniversary Party or A Midsummer Night's Dream (and not Trade or The Pink Panther). And this just may be it... Variety reports that Klein, Paul Dano, John C. Reilly, and Katie Holmes have signed on for an adaptation of Jonathan Ames' The Extra Man. Shari Springer Berman wrote the script with Ames, and will direct along with American Splendor director Robert Pulcini.

The book follows a troubled young man (Dano) who gets a teaching job in New York City and ends up living with an "elderly eccentric" (Kline) who spends his time as "the extra man" for rich old women on the East Side. (Ouch. The thought of Kline as "elderly" truly saddens me...) While the old man teaches him some tidbits about city living, like how to sneak into Broadway plays, the younger roommate struggles with his uncertain sexual orientation with cross-dressing and forays into "New York's transvestite underworld."

There is no word on who Reilly or Holmes will play, but maybe one of the book's fans could shed some light on character possibilities? Not that it really matters -- just the thought of Kline, Dano, and Reilly together is enough to sell me, and I'm dying to see what Dano and Kline do with their roles. And who knows? Maybe this will mean a big comeback for Holmes as well (as a big-screen actress) -- she was wonderful in the last film she shared with Klein -- Ang Lee's The Ice Storm.

I don't know about you, but when I play the "actors who could be related game," like Jeffrey M. Anderson did back in July, I always start with Marisa Tomei being the perfect person to play Jonah Hill's mom. Really. Don't they look alike? The long, lean ... okay, forget it. I never dreamed of pairing the two up, but Fox Searchlight has.

The Hollywood Reporter posts that Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill, and John C. Reilly are in talks to star in a new intergenerational comedy. (Note: I originally misread "intergenerational" as "intergalactic." Those three in space would have been so much cooler, but I digress.) Right now, the Jay and Mark Duplass (who are making their studio debut after several successful indie mumblecore-ish movies) film is without a name, but it was once called Safety Man. Tomei will play a woman starting a new relationship with Reilly, only to have her pesky son (Hill) try to foil the romance.

I love the idea of this trio, and can't wait to see what it would bring. However, why does Tomei always get paired with the less sexy of Hollywood? I know that it happens a lot in Tinseltown -- men who would be looked over normally become prime pieces of arse when they transform into successful actors. But did getting paired with Joe Pesci back in '92 curse her? Mickey Rourke with a face lift. Philip Seymour Hoffman. William H. Macy. Even the love interest of George Costanza on TV. Now, Reilly. Hollywood: Pair her with a sexy leading man in a really good film already, would ya?