MeganFox Tagged Articles at Cinematical

It's either this year's The Wrestler, or the film equivalent of that nasty drunk at the bar who's just slowly making the biggest ass of himself with each passing minute. In the works for 10 years now, Mitch Glazer's Passion Play has just wrapped production and star Mickey Rourke sat down for a brief chat with Entertainment Weekly in which, among other things, he calls Megan Fox "probably the best young actress I've ever worked with" and at the same time bashes one or both of his Wrestler co-stars by saying "there wasn't much chemistry there." Oh Mickey, what will you say next?

In Passion Play, Rourke plays a down-and-out trumpet player who looks to a young winged angel for redemption in 1950s Los Angeles. On Fox's character, Rourke notes, "She has wings, so she was sort of an oddity trapped in a carnival act. She's been a prisoner her whole life, and she has no understanding of trust. She's very vulnerable and delicate." It's not hard to see similarities with Rourke's character in The Wrestler, but he tries to distance himself from that film and its story (in an odd way) by criticizing the lack of chemistry on set and then noting: "As far as the redemption is concerned, it's almost fate. It's not so much that my character is seeking redemption, it's almost like it falls in my lap by accident. And I try and hold on to it as much as I can."

Check out the rest over at EW. Passion Play will most likely debut at some point in 2010.

What was the worst movie of 2009? According to the Razzie Award nominations, which were announced this morning, the five contenders for that title are G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, Old Dogs, Land of the Lost, Transformers: Rise of the Fallen and All About Steve. That last film also featured one of the worst actresses of 2009: Sandra Bullock, who has otherwise had a more honorable year with Best Actress wins at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards (and an expected Oscar nomination, to be announced tomorrow morning) for her dramatic turn in The Blind Side and a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for The Proposal. Her competition for the Razzie includes Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Sarah Jessica Parker and Megan Fox (for both Jennifer's Body and the Transformers sequel).

Worst lead male performances of the year came from Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta and all three Jonas Brothers, who share a nomination for their eponymous 3-D concert film (did they not just appear as themselves?). The Jonas' are also up for the Razzie for Worst Screen Couple, where their challengers include Kristen Stewart and "EITHER Robert Pattinson OR Taylor Whatz-His-Fang." Twilight fans will be furious to learn Pattinson is up for Worst Supporting Actor and New Moon is nominated for Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel and Worst Screenplay, too. Surprisingly, the first film in the franchise avoided any nominations last year.

For this special 30th-anniversary year, the Razzies will also (dis)honor the worst of the past decade. Film nominees include Battlefield Earth, Freddy Got Fingered, Gigli, I Know Who Killed Me and the Guy Ritchie-directed Swept Away remake. Worst actor and actresses of the decade include Rob Schneider, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Madonna.

Check out a full list of nominees after the jump.

Funny how when you give up paying attention to a franchise, news on its future developments goes in one ear and out the other. I enjoyed the first Transformers, feeling it delivered an enjoyable blend of big budget action and whiz-bang effects, but absolutely hated Revenge of the Fallen. I could barely wait for it to end and by the time the credits signaled I could finally flee the theater, I had sworn off the series. Since then, I've only been paying vague attention to any progress on a new film, mainly because all news concerning said film seemed to revolve around the supremely untalented Megan Fox.

I was kind of surprised when I came across a headline this morning at IESB that declared filming on the untitled part 3 was set to begin this May. I know I've been ignoring Transformers news for the most part, but I thought word that Michael Bay and company were all officially coming back would have stood out. Turns out it did not. But considering that those big, brawling robots are relevant to pop culture, I figured it was best I scan back and read up on where production stands.

• Michael Bay is returning to direct, despite initially saying he needed a year to recover from Revenge of the Fallen.
• Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have moved on and will not be returning to script part 3. Ehren Kruger, the man largely responsible for all of the bad things about Revenge, will take over writing duties.
• Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox are both signed on. Unfortunately for us, the studio probably won't let Bay kill off Fox in the opening scene.
• Bay wants this new film to focus more on the "characters", particularly the relationship between Sam and Bumblebee. He also wants his big budget action movie to have less action.

Paramount is still looking to stick to the July 1st, 2011 release date earmarked before Revenge of the Fallen even came out. With filming set to begin in May, we should start getting our first official glimpses of Transformers 3 late summer. Will 'less action, more characters' be enough to sway back audiences spurned by the assault on the senses that is Transformers 2? Only time will tell.

Last month it was rumored that Jonah Hex was reloading its ammunition to undergo reshoots. The news has been re-confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, and it doesn't appear to be an automatically bad prognosis for the movie, as many seemed to feel it was.

According to THR, the reshoots will only last ten days and not the full two weeks that was initially reported. Twelve pages of additional script are being added, along with a little more action. They've called Megan Fox, Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, and Michael Fassbender back to do some shooting in Los Angeles. So while the new scenes may include President Andrew Johnson as hinted by the casting call, what really matters for 50% of the world population is that Fox may have a few extra scenes in that tiny, tiny corset. Maybe it'll take 5 of the 10 days just to shoot her scenes because she'll need to be let loose between gunfights.

Hex was originally scheduled to be released on August 6, 2010 but it was moved up to June 18. There's two stories circulating as to why Hex needs a bit more work. Some are saying the additional scenes and extra money are to fix "certain problems with the movie." Others say it was to really polish up the moderately-budgeted film and make it look more like a summer tentpole. I'd like to believe the latter, particularly since I thought moving up the release date was a mark of confidence in what Jonah Hex already was. Come on, any movie (especially one aiming to be a summer blockbuster) can use a little more Malkovich, Brolin, and Fassbender, right?

Jennifer's Body
Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, Jennifer's Body is a horror movie for people who don't like horror movies, dawdling and teasing and never really coming to grips with whatever it is it's supposed to be about. Amanda Seyfried easily walks away with the picture from ostensible star Megan Fox. But it's worth watching for the discussions it will provoke. Available in both theatrical and extended versions. Rent it. Also on Blu-ray. Diablo fans can also pick up her premium cable TV series, United States of Tara: Season One.

Add to queue at Netflix | Buy at Amazon

Paranormal Activity
Ten years after The Blair Witch Project, another 'fake reality' scare show connects with jaded audiences. The simplicity of the set-up by director Oren Peli and the warmth of the married couple -- fighting a bit, loving a bit, pushing each other a bit -- adds to the creepy atmosphere. Rent it. Also on Blu-ray. See Collector's Corner after the jump for another edition.

Add to queue at Netflix | Buy at Amazon

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This is the one without singing and dancing. Shane Acker's animated tale of a nightmarish future got lost in the busy autumn release shuffle, but should find a more receptive audience on home video. As our own William Goss observed, the expansion from Acker's beautiful short film into a feature-length film results in some 'over-explanation,' but animation fans should go nuts. Rent it. Also on Blu-ray.

Add to queue at Netflix | Buy at Amazon

There's a mistaken assumption among fans and readers that online outlets find some kind of glory in reporting bad movie news. You couldn't be further than the truth. We hate it, especially if it's a film you're really, really looking forward to. The only reason I'm reporting on possible Jonah Hex troubles is because I'm hoping it'll be swiftly debunked.

SpoilerTV is reporting that Jonah Hex will be undergoing two weeks of reshoots beginning in January 2010. The casting call that has gone out would suggest that it's pretty extensive stuff -- scenes will include more of Jonah's pre-scarred life with his Native American wife, Cassie, and his son Travis. Jeb Turnbull, son of John Malkovich's Quentin Turnbull, will also be added in, as well as President Andrew Johnson himself. (If you're an Andrew Johnson lookalike, get to L.A. They need you!)

A far more troubling rumor has popped up on Bloody-Disgusting, which they claim to have since confirmed. A source there is saying that director Francis Lawrence (I am Legend) will consult with Jimmy Hayward for the reshoots. What that means exactly is beyond us, but our fingers are crossed that Hayward is still involved in a large capacity. He had a lot of enthusiasm for the film and the character, and you hate to see that go sour. Here's hoping that Hayward is still on, and that the reshoots aren't signs of trouble, but just a finishing touch.

If you have a few minutes today I'd strongly recommend reading this fascinating five-page New York Times Magazine story on Megan Fox called The Self-Manufacture of Megan Fox. I know, you're not really interested in reading another "OMG, she said that!" article on the overly hyped, sexified actress, but this one is a little different. Yes, it touches on just about everything controversial that's crossed her plate -- from her much-publicized spat with Michael Bay to her longterm off-screen relationship with Brian Austin Green -- but it also digs beneath the surface and exposes the way in which she's sort of self-manufactured her own image depending on where she is and who she's speaking to in order to expand her brand, which, she'll admit, isn't the most glamorous or family-friendly, but it's what's keeping her working.

Fox admits that she got herself into the whole Michael Bay mess, and wonders why no one came to her defense when that nasty crew letter surfaced online ("I think it's because I'm a girl. They left me out there to be bludgeoned to death"). Another interesting fact was that they were going to include a Hitler/Michael Bay joke when Fox hosted Saturday Night Live, but dropped it because it wasn't appropriate. Fox explains, "They wanted me to do a Q. and A. with the audience for the opening monologue. And Hitler is in the audience. Hitler stands up and says, 'Why did you compare me to Michael Bay?' " Fox laughed. "Which is funny, but we can't do that."

Watch the actual monologue and read more after the jump.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has become something of a calling card for my writing in 2009, and an albatross around my neck at the same time. There's little else I wrote this year that got as much attention, and yet it's by far the most misunderstood of my many, many reviews, primarily because one sentence published on Rotten Tomatoes, and later, literally one word used in the its advertising was employed to characterize my feelings about the film. Mind you, I'm not complaining, but it's made for a sort of fascinating study among my friends and colleagues, some of whom took me at those words and those words alone, while others read the actual review I posted here on Cinematical, and for better or for worse, agree or disagree, at least understood where I was coming from.

This week, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen arrives on Blu-ray, and in the interest of thoroughness, I decided to revisit the film to see (a) how I personally felt about the film a second time, and (b) if any of the objections of its critics were explained, justified or otherwise corrected in the bonus materials. After perusing the content on both discs of the Collector's Edition Blu-ray, I'm unsure whether or not its detractors will be any more appreciative of its artistic merits; but watching it again on the small screen and augmented by the thoughts and comments of the folks responsible for the film, I at least feel as if I know where the sources of some of those problems lie.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, or at least that's what the good folks over at Gawker seem to think when it comes to Gerard Butler. In the wake of a number two movie at the box office and some not-so-great reviews of his hosting gig last weekend for SNL, Gawker has issued the Scottish actor the following decree: Gerard Butler, You Are Officially on Movie Star Probation. According to them, it's time we all intervened to save him from himself. But if he doesn't shape up, Gawker has decided the only option is that the actor will be "banned from all movies, tabloids, red carpet affairs, awards ceremonies, and celebrity relationships. If he can stay out of the press for three years, he may be rewarded with the starring role on a CBS procedural." Tough, but fair.

Sure, it's all in good fun, but I'll admit they have a point. I haven't seen Law Abiding Citizen, but even I've been questioning some of the choices on Butler's resume since his break-out turn as the tighty-whitey wearing Spartan in Snyder's 300 (and yes, I'm talking about P.S. I Love You and The Ugly Truth). So even though his celebrity quotient is rising, the quality of his movies isn't and that's a dangerous combination. Butler has a natural charm (and even a damn fine singing voice) which should make him the perfect specimen for leading man status, but you wouldn't know it from his career choices. He isn't the first (or the last) to fall victim to overexposure and bad decisions, but audiences are a fickle sort who can turn on you at the drop of a dime. So let's just hope we can scare him straight.

After the jump: a few more examples of celebrities who have fallen prey to bad career choices and the PR monster known as 'over-hyping'...