It is always a curiosity when Hollywood families come together for a project. I love seeing the Estevezes (aka Sheens) appear together -- sure, even in Men at Work. And sometimes the Coppolas do well with one another -- Talia Shire in her brother's Godfather movies, for example. But often it is a bad idea to work with or cast family members. The most obvious case is Sofia Coppola (Shire's niece) being in her father's The Godfather: Part III. Just recently Jake Paltrow received a paltry reception for a movie he made featuring his sister, Gwyneth. Now, another new filmmaker is attempting a similar feat: According to Variety, Bruce Dern will make his directorial debut with Hart's Location, in which he'll appear alongside his ex-wife, Diane Ladd, and his daughter, Laura Dern. Written by Ashley Reed, the film will appropriately be about family estrangement. Laura will star as a woman seeking to regain custody of her son while also attempting to locate her father, who left when she was 3.

It is worth noting that Diane Ladd has been nominated for three Oscars, all for films in which her daughter also appears (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore; Wild at Heart; Rambling Rose). The last of these even saw a nomination for Laura, as well, marking the first time a mother and daughter were ever recognized by the Academy for the same film. So, for the women, at least, Hart's Location seems to be a great idea. Maybe there's more Oscars in their future. On the other hand, it also seems to have a sort of novelty to it, like the badly-received It Runs in the Family, which featured a lot of the Douglases (Michael, Kirk, Cameron and Diana), in what appeared to exist just for the stunt-casting. Like that movie, Hart's Location also unites a real-life divorced couple (Dern and Ladd parted ways in 1969). Interestingly enough, though, Ladd has already directed her ex-husband, in 1994's little-seen Mrs. Munck. Hopefully Dern can do better in this reversal of roles. As long as he spends more attention on making a good movie rather than on working out his personal issues (he told Daily Variety that the project makes sense for them because it's about the things you wish you'd said to your family members), then I'll be looking forward to it. The film begins shooting in New Orleans in February.

I was talking with a friend the other day about the shocking decline in the quality of Kevin Spacey's films. It seems as though that Oscar for American Beauty was some sort of horrific curse, sending him into a long run of ill-advised, disastrous movie projects. Look at the man's filmography pre and then post Beauty. It's distressing! But Variety is reporting on a flick that sounds like it might turn things around. HBO Films' Recount will tell the story of the Florida results in the 2000 election, one of the most controversial political events of recent years. As Monika recently told you, Sydney Pollack was supposed to direct but dropped out due to "an undisclosed illness." Jay Roach, a director primarily known for broad comedy (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Meet the Parents, and their lesser sequels), will now direct. Danny Strong wrote the screenplay. The film will document "the legal and political maneuvering from the point of view of both the Bush and Gore camps."

Spacey will star as Ron Klain, "former chief of staff to vice president Al Gore and one of the lead attorneys who challenged the voting results in Florida." In addition to Spacey, Recount has lined up one hell of a supporting cast: Laura Dern will play Katherine Harris, the Florida secretary of state who certified that George W. Bush had won the state. Denis Leary (what went wrong on this season of Rescue Me, DL?) plays Michael Whouley, a Democrat pollster. John Hurt plays Warren Christopher, a key player for Gore. Tom Wilkinson plays James Baker, brought in by the Republicans to see that the disputed results held up. And two Christopher Guest alums will duke it out in the courtroom. Ed Begley, Jr will play David Boies, the lawyer who appealed the results and argued for the Democrats. Bob Balaban plays Ben Ginsberg, head attorney for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. See what I mean about that supporting cast? You won't have to demand a Recount -- look for the film on HBO during the 2008 presidential election.

Just when you thought there were no more fantastic, original ideas floating around Hollywood, I give you the latest Jurassic Park IV rumor. According to Bloody Disgusting, Universal is now going through the process of casting for the fourth installment in Steven Spielberg's dino-mite (heh, get it?) franchise. So far Laura Dern has confirmed that she will indeed reprise her role as Dr. Ellie Sattler, while Sam Neill has decided not to touch this piece of dinosaur feces with a ten foot pole. Same goes for Jurassic Park III helmer Joe Johnston. And the plot? The "plot!" Brace yourselves folks, because this one might sting a bit. Here, I'll let BD break the news: "We're told that the film is about the government who has trained dinosaurs to carry weapons and use them for battle purposes."

Um, wow. So are they trying to say that a Velociraptor isn't dangerous enough on its own -- that the thing needs to carry a missile launcher too?! I understand the need to up the ante a bit (because the whole "Oh no, we're lost in a jungle full of dinosaurs" gig has kind of run its course), but do they really think that giving a Tyrannosaurus rex a machine gun ... I can't even complete the sentence without wanting to hit something. Holy crap is this premise absurd. Let me guess: At first, the dinosaurs are kicking some terrorist ass ... until -- oh no! -- they turned on everyone, and pointed their weapons at us! Damn it, I knew we shouldn't have given that Dilophosaurus a grenade launcher. Damn it. Apparently, William Monahan (The Departed) wrote the latest draft, and I assume we can expect Jurassic Park IV to stampede into theaters (guns drawn) sometime in late 2008 or summer of 2009.

The rumor mill began buzzing last week when Laura Dern told folks at a press junket that Steven Spielberg wants her back for Jurassic Park IV. Dern, who played Sam Neill's long-time girlfriend in the original film, claimed to know nothing about the story, only that her character is featured and the film would most likely hit theaters in 2008. But just when you thought progress was being made, MTV News reports that director Joe Johnston (the dude who helmed Jurassic Park III) will not be returning to helm the fourth installment, contrary to reports that claimed the guy was already attached.

In speaking with Johnston's reps, they apparently told MTV that he is "definitely not directing" Jurassic Park IV. This, after Spielberg said last year that Johnston was his "go-to Jurassic guy." Is it just me, or is there something fishy brewing over there on dinosaur island? Why would Johnston turn down the film after Spielberg offered it to him on a silver platter? Not that I'm all in the know or anything, but isn't there a golden rule in Hollywood that states you must obey Steven Spielberg's orders at all costs? And if you don't, well, then you either melt like the witch that you are or appear next to Andy Richter in one of his many successful sitcoms. Pick your poison Mr. Joe Johnston. And choose wisely.

When Dern was asked who she thought should helm Jurassic Park IV, the actress cleverly mentioned her greatest admirer (and newly elected president of the Laura Dern fan club?), David Lynch. Ha, could you even imagine Lynch directing Jurassic Park IV? Not only would it take four years to make, but by the time it was all said and done, those dinosaurs would become large bunny rabbits and no one would understand a damn thing. Good call Dern, but I can't see it happening in this lifetime. So, if Johnston is out, who would you choose to take his place (and please people, stop using the name Sam Raimi for everything!)?

Ever since they announced there would be a Jurassic Park IV, the first question on my mind was: Who from the original will they get to return for a fourth adventure? Sure, it's possible to produce a new sequel with a fresh cast, but the franchise wouldn't feel complete without a few familiar faces. Jeff Goldblum did his part for The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Sam Neill was somehow convinced to take on the lead role in Jurassic Park III. Since there's a good chance neither one of those guys are coming back for another round, it appears all the attention is now heading in the direction of Laura Dern (who, as we all remember, played Neill's longtime girlfriend in the original dinosaur flick).

While at a press junket for Year of the Dog, Dern spoke openly about the fourth installment and revealed that she had just recently received a special phone call from the man himself, Steven Spielberg. Says Dern, "Well a certain fellow is the one that called me and it's hard to say no to him cause he's always got something totally genius up his sleeve so we'll see what they have in mind. But I don't know anything about it at this point. I'm told it's happening and I'm told they're calling me. I'm told that Ellie Sattler is involved in it." As far as when we'll get to see it in theaters, Dern felt that they want to try to somehow get it done for 2008. However, with all the effects work that needs to be done for this bad boy, I can't see it arriving in our laps until summer 2009. So, does Spielberg really have genius up his sleeve, or is he simply running out of people to throw money at?

Considering the lengths that David Lynch has gone to while promoting his latest film Inland Empire; a simple announcement about a screening almost seems like a letdown. The Carolina Theater in Greensboro, North Carolina announced the screening of Lynch's latest film on March 16th as part of their Cinematique Series. The 79-year-old vaudeville house turned performing arts center seems a fitting location for Lynch's fun house of a movie. Tickets are going for the modest price of $7 or $5 for students and seniors, and the website promises the cryptic running time as "7:00PM until ...", so you never know what the organizers might have planned -- this is the same film that used a cow as a marketing device after all.

The film stars Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, and Justin Theroux; but even after repeated viewings of the first and second trailers, I really couldn't tell you what it was about. Although, Ryan's review does a better job of explaining the plot than I ever could, so I'll just leave it at that. The film premiered at the San Francisco Indiefest and was one of the more high profile selections at the festival, Inland Empire is slowly working it's way through the US, so I guess if you are a fan, you are just going to have to be patient and hope the film makes it's way to you.

[via Huliq.com]

Leave it to Hollywood to change the basis of a storyline to glam things up a bit. Last year, Martha Fischer reviewed Lonely Hearts for the Tribeca Film Festival. The story is based on the Lonely Hearts Killers -- a murderous and far-from-glamorous duo/couple from the late 1940's. He was a balding, toupee-wearing man with a large scar on the top of his head, she was a 200+ pound woman who had spent her life lonely and ridiculed. That obviously doesn't make for sexy cinema, so the leads were cast with Jared Leto as Raymond Fernandez and Salma Hayek as Martha Beck.

It's actually interesting that the story was so sauced up, since the screenwriter and director is Todd Robinson -- the grandson of Detective Elmer C. Robinson, who was one of the detectives in the case. I guess familial ties can't also ensure accuracy. Now the film, which follows predecessors like The Honeymoon Killers and Deep Crimson, has found itself a U.S. distributor in Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn films. Beyond Leto and Hayek, there's John Travolta without the Hogs as Detective Robinson, James Gandolfini as his partner, Charles Hildebrandt, Scott Caan as another detective and Laura Dern as a co-worker who is having an affair with Robinson. As Martha described in her review, the story focuses on both sides of the story -- the couple who kill and the police duo who hunt them down. You won't have to wait too long to see the film for yourself, as the plan is to release it next month, on April 13.

Inland Empire is the film where David Lynch says goodbye to narrative and sends the viewer dancing down the rabbit-hole of his psyche, (there are actual rabbits) landing us in a grimy hall of mirrors where the half-remembered stars of his dreams clash in the night. Since a dream is like a treadmill, or a stuck record needle, the inhabitants of this world are confined to speaking in an abstract dream-English, made up of a frustratingly small allowance of words and ideas compact enough to fit on the turntable of the unconscious mind. The film's conversations -- over three hours worth -- consist of non-sequiturs, run-on sentences and story fragments. The goings-on are often inscrutable, although sexual content is one of the few consistent clarity boosters. Take one conversation, where a female character played by Laura Dern sits in a darkened interrogation room and recounts an attempted rape. Her story flows forward; the record needle doesn't skip. Other characters speak stiff monotone English, devoid of spark, but her accent and personality, preserved in the memory, are colored in.

That accent is Arkansas white-trash; she bounces the 'f' in 'fuck' off her bottom lip with each usage, as if to preserve its sexual power. Her sentences are declarative and informational, like "I kicked his nuts into his brain." Compare this to another conversation, between two suburban neighbors, where the lack of electricity is palpable and the small-talk full of circular logic; we can see the camera fighting boredom in that scene, pushing in hard on their faces, striving valiantly to maintain focus and stay awake, before the whole thing collapses and is re-absorbed back into the memory pool. This is Inland Empire, for better or worse; a hard and bruising tumble down the neuron branches of an uncompromising painter of moving pictures. Monotony and wheel-spinning are standard in Lynch's world, but if you're so inclined, think of that as the admission price for what comes later: a sharp lightning charge into the center of the director's brain, where the dream neurons flash-pop like the bulb of a table lamp in a cheap hotel room.

Not content with its growing reputation as a genre distributor with films like Saw, The Descent and Hostel, Lionsgate has decided to stretch a little and include some other kinds of movies in its roster besides horror -- perhaps with less blood, gore and a smaller body count too. With the upcoming 3:10 to Yuma, they were off to a good start -- not necessarily in the blood, gore or body count department, but at least its not a horror film. And now, according to an article over at IGN, they've added another film to help them expand their slate and re-define their image -- the Russell Crowe thriller Tenderness.

The film (which our own Martha Fischer reported on way back in April), based on the novel by Robert Comier and adapted by Emil Stern, tells the story of a cop (Crowe) who attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding a teenage serial killer who murdered his family and the young female runaway he's taken under his wing. Teenage serial killer? Ok, so its not a completely different genre, but still -- I bet nobody gets locked in a room, explosives strapped to their head and tormented by a sadistic killer who has a penchant for dolls.

Lionsgate took North American, U.K., Australian and South African rights to the film, which was directed by John Paulson and also features Jon Foster, Sophie Traub and Laura Dern. About the film, Lionsgate Execs. Tom Ortenberg and Peter Block gushed: "Tenderness delivers an unbeatable combination of story, filmmakers and actors. Polson, Crowe, Foster, Traub and Dern have given it their all -- which means that audiences can count on an incredibly gripping experience." Sure, its hardly unusual for execs to say those kinds of things about films they just paid good money for, so I'll take their enthusiasm with a grain of salt. Still, I can't think of a Russell Crowe movie I didn't like ... so that definitely helps. Who knows, maybe its as good as they say it is? I guess we'll see when the film gets released next year.

David Lynch has wonderfully built up expectation. Bit by tiny, delicious, little bit, pieces of Inland Empire have been revealed. For a while, there was nothing more than vague references by the film's actors and Lynch himself. Nestled in Łódź, Poland, Lynch wrote the film scene-by-scene, and while everyone kept tight-lipped, there also wasn't much coherent information to share. Loosely, it's the story of two actors set to be lovers on-screen, who fall into bed. Since nothing in a Lynchian world is simple, the pair are calling each other by their casts names, and the line between the character and the actor blurs.

Finally, as the limited release date of December 15 is almost here, a trailer has popped up online. From the beginning eerily-close shot of Grace Zabriskie's large, haunting eyes to the explosion of Badalamenti beats, this trailer is pure David Lynch. Actually, it's like all of his previous art and scenes have come together into a new narrative. There is Dern crying in a similar manner to Laura Palmer's wail on Twin Peaks , a head that is eerily similar to those in Six Men Getting Sick, and a scene of animal-headed people that looks like Industrial Symphony No. 1 thrown onto a Blue Velvet-like set.

Looking at the trailer, I can't imagine a fan not liking the film, if for nothing more than his ability to make every scene look like a piece of art. However, if this isn't up your alley, you might enjoy another Inland Empire clip on YouTube, which has two guys discovering Lynch's bovine marketing strategy. Nothing says Lynch more than his explanation of the cow -- "Cheese is made from milk."