Mel Gibson Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy Confirmed for 'Mad Max'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Warner Brothers », Fandom », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
After weeks of breathless speculation as to who would be riding George Miller's bleak highways of Mad Max: Fury Road, there's been a conformation. Variety reports that Charlize Theron has boarded the film, but that it'll be Tom Hardy (Bronson) who takes over the coveted lead. The script is being kept under tight wraps, so we still don't know if Mad Max: Fury Road will be a reboot or a sequel. Speculation has been rampant for more than twenty years, and as is the case with so many revived franchises, we'll probably end up being terribly wrong. Hopefully for the better.So, we only know that Hardy is playing "the male lead. Will it be the Mad Max, made so iconic by Mel Gibson? Or will Max have taken on some kind of mythological, Robin Hood like status in the barren wasteland, and someone simply takes on the title? It could go either way (but hopefully not the way of Kevin Costner's The Postman), and I'm excited that Hardy has the part. He's been one of those actors lurking under The Really Big Time, and this could be the film that pushes him into stardom.
Theron's role might be the biggest and coolest surprise. She's a big enough name that I can't believe she'll be shoved into a corner as The Wife of Mad Max. Will she be a post-apocalyptic warrior too? I hope so. With so few remnants of humanity left, you need all the badasses you can get. It would be nice to see that reflected beyond Tina Turner.
Quick List: Celebrities With The Worst Reputations
Filed under: RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Tom Cruise »
Perception is everything, and I don't mean to get all metaphysical on you, but sometimes it's how the world sees us that can define who we are -- but what if the world thinks you're a psycho? In an interview with American Psycho director Mary Harron, she was reminiscing about the black comedy, and as it turns out, her star Christian Bale based his vision of the murdering yuppie on -- wait for it -- Tom Cruise. According to Harron, she and Bale had been collaborating on the character when "...he [Bale] called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy."
Actors take inspiration from all kinds of places, but you can't help but wonder if Bale saw something that we would all be made painfully aware of: the 'crazy' side of Cruise. And it was that same energy that worked so well in P.T. Anderson's Magnolia when Cruise played motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey. But for me, what made this story truly funny, is that who could have predicted that soon enough Bale would be dealing with his own troubled image in Hollywood as a rage-aholic and something of a bully? On the upside, though, maybe Bale's on-set rant will one day inspire another young actor (ahh, the circle of life).
These guys aren't the only ones to battle troubled reputations (whether or not they're deserved), and after the jump: a few more stars who have run their reputations into the ditch...
Mel Gibson Takes Us to the 'Edge of Darkness' in New Trailer
Filed under: Action », Drama », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Warner Brothers », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
Counting out Signs and We Were Soldiers, it's been nearly a decade since Mel Gibson's knocked some skulls (if you're willing to factor in 2000's The Patriot; if not, then exactly a decade since 1999's Payback), and in the trailer for Edge of Darkness -- embedded post-jump -- it looks like old habits die hard.Gibson plays a Boston detective whose daughter is killed in a hit meant for him. Naturally, he starts knocking on doors and following trails to determine if his daughter had actually been the target all along, and why. Writer William Monahan is no stranger to either Beantown (The Departed) or elaborate conspiracies (Body of Lies), and director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) already made a BBC miniseries out of the material back in 1985. (No wonder it was reminding me of State of Play, title similarities aside.)
I wasn't sure then why a film with such firepower on paper was being relegated to next January, but it seems to be in stride with the turning tide of this past January's strong performance. Just as The Cabin in the Woods 3-D had been pushed back to the same weekend that My Bloody Valentine 3-D had, I believe that Darkness is being positioned on the same weekend that Taken had for a reason. (Even the poster is not far from that of the righteous-father flick.)
Let's hope Mel McKickass has all the right reasons to warm things up next winter.
A Peek at Mel Gibson and His Beaver
Filed under: Comedy », Images »
Here you have it -- a look at Mel Gibson and his beaver. I used to think that David O. Russell grabbed some unique gigs and that David Lynch crafted insane worlds, but nothing makes me agog and baffled like the idea of Mel Gibson, Anton Yelchin, and Jodie Foster in a movie about a man and his beaver ... with Jodie Foster directing!
So here's a peek at what it's going to look like, courtesy of ONTD (who've got the rest of Gibson's sweats-clad body). It's a simple, kinda grungy hand puppet. Gibson's just running along, talking to his little puppet friend, making sure to breathe. But really -- there's some talent in there if a man can concentrate on exercise, get good oxygen, and make his puppet move whilst running on uneven ground and not mis-step. Poor guy, and poor puppet for the sweat that must be accumulating in there. At least when I used to jog with my imaginary friend, she ran alongside.
The Beaver focuses on a toy manufacturer who is severely depressed and ends up creating a friend in his beaver puppet. Will you rush to the theaters to see a man and his faux furry friend?
Classic Cameos: Danny Glover in 'Maverick'
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
People always seem to sneer at Mel Gibson's Maverick, but I've always had a special place for it on my DVD shelf. As television remakes go, Maverick is pretty slick and clever, and gently spoofs the Western genre while remaining true to its 1960s roots. (If you own the special 2-disc copy of Unforgiven, you need to go watch the Maverick episode that's included as a bonus feature. It's hilarious! Also, James Garner was a dreamboat.) Nevertheless, Maverick threatened to be too silly for its own good when it decided to capitalize on Richard Donner's friendships and franchises, and invite Danny Glover in for a cameo. (There's also a Goonie making a cameo in his gang, see if you can spot him.) This is the kind of wink-wink-nudge-nudge joke that should completely annoy me, but it doesn't here. Maybe my love of Lethal Weapon runs too deep, or maybe I get too into meta-references and expanded universes, but I think it's a fun parody. Sure, parts of it are eye-rolling and obvious ("I'm getting too old for this sh*t!"), but they could have been really lame and cast Glover as a straight-laced sheriff or Texas Ranger.
Instead, they let him play on the other side of the law, and it's a nice touch to let Glover set off a bomb for once, and let the explosion mirror the smoke and debris that the loose cannon cops always leave behind. I also love how Glover's look of greed upon beholding Geoffery Lewis' stuffed pocketbook mirrors the scene in Lethal Weapon 2 when Riggs and Murtaugh find the Alba Varden cache. It's a classic cameo, if only for the delightful implication that Riggs and Murtaugh have run into each other throughout American history.
Our Favorite Montages: Braveheart
Filed under: Drama », Romance », War », Trailers and Clips »
Not all montages come from the heady, power ballad-filled days of the 1980s. Every once and awhile they crop up in big historical epics because you have to cut the running time of them somehow, and battle scenes are pretty damn expensive. No one can accuse Braveheart of skimping on the medieval carnage, but even Mel Gibson had to draw a line somewhere, and he chose to feature a nifty little montage of William Wallace traveling the length and breadth of Scotland after the disaster of Falkirk. He's down, but he isn't out, and he's keeping the fight alive as the Scots rally to his cause once more. It's like a 14th century Eye of the Tiger!
It's popular to hate on Braveheart these days, but this montage distills some of what I'll always love about the film: the gorgeous scenery, the kilts (I believe the mountain close-up is one of Gibson's final momentsof sexiness), the unrepentant bloodshed, and the way he captured the chilly roughness of the period. I'll always forgive the film its historical errors because it works so well as pure legend (and was drawn from poetry -- read Blind Harry's Wallace if you want Braveheart times ten), and nothing says that better than a bunch of villagers sharing Wallace's kill count. I especially love how its punctuated with that grim, bloody march at the end. No wonder Edward is fretting about ways to get rid of him.
Jump below for the scene...
It's popular to hate on Braveheart these days, but this montage distills some of what I'll always love about the film: the gorgeous scenery, the kilts (I believe the mountain close-up is one of Gibson's final momentsof sexiness), the unrepentant bloodshed, and the way he captured the chilly roughness of the period. I'll always forgive the film its historical errors because it works so well as pure legend (and was drawn from poetry -- read Blind Harry's Wallace if you want Braveheart times ten), and nothing says that better than a bunch of villagers sharing Wallace's kill count. I especially love how its punctuated with that grim, bloody march at the end. No wonder Edward is fretting about ways to get rid of him.
Jump below for the scene...
What Movies Do You Most Regret Seeing?
Filed under: Fan Rant »
I was inspired by the new Cinematical series, Movies I Will Never See, but I had a hard time coming up with a movie I will absolutely, categorically never see, given the chance. So here's my take on a movie I wish I'd never seen...I have seen bad movies that wasted my time, my money, and valuable real estate in my brainpan. Some of the movies I've seen were so bad they actually made me angry with their crappiness. (This summer's The Informers and The Mysteries of Pittsburgh both land in that category.) I've seen plenty of "bad" or "weird" movies that were gross or generally nuts -- Nekromantik (both the first and the second, thanks), Crispin Glover's labor of love What Is It?, Begotten, Salo, and Shivers, to name a few. And then I've seen bad movies. Movies I wish I could un-see. That made me feel like scrubbing the insides of my eyelids. That made me feel, well, icky.
The number one offender on my list is The Passion of the Christ. I had no intention of seeing it, but there were extenuating circumstances – all, in fact, were somehow related to Judaism, no less! A friend who is a talented linguist and more or less fluent in Hebrew was very interested in the fact that it was in Aramaic and he convinced me to go. The first yahrzeit of my father was approaching quickly, and so I was just like, "Eh, okay, let's go see this damn movie." (According to About.com, which is where I've gotten most of my religious education, the yahrzeit "is a commemoration of the death of a Jew by a mourner (the child, sibling, spouse or parent of the deceased).")
Which Film People Could Be Guest Judges on 'American Idol'?
Filed under: Music & Musicals », Fandom », Home Entertainment »
Pardon me if I don't shed a tear that Paula Abdul will not be returning as a judge on the next season of American Idol. As a relentless cheerleader for the contestants, she was beloved, as a foil for the evil Simon Cowell, she was feisty, but her time has come and gone. (And I say that lovingly as a former high school classmate. OK, she never knew I existed, but still...) Producers have already lined up Victoria Beckham as a guest judge, but I think they should look to the fabulous film world for future guest judge-ships.
Here are my quick picks.
- Kevin Smith. He'd definitely be funny, could snap back at Simon's ferocity, and could dish out insults as needed.
- Drew Barrymore. She would bring Paula's positive vibe and be very kind when rejecting the talentless.
- Julie Andrews. The great star of The Sound of Music and The Princess Diaries returns in the The Tooth Fairy next January.
- Mel Gibson. Don't you want to see the grizzled, suicidal star of The Road Warrior and Lethal Weapon telling no-talents where they can stick their singing voice? His Australian heritage would also set him up for epic battles with Simon Cowell. And Edge of Darkness is scheduled for next January.
- Jennifer Lopez. The lady has been out of the film spotlight for a while, but will return in The Back-Up Plan. She knows her music, and could rival Randy in telling contestants "yo, dog!"
- Quentin Tarantino. Bring him back as a judge this time, not just a coach or "guest director."
Who do you want to see sitting on that infamous panel of judges?
Is Jeremy Renner the Next Mad Max?
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », RumorMonger », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
It's a quiet day (so far) on the Interwebs, which has led to everyone noticing and buzzing about a great little rumor that Ain't It Cool News discovered thanks to The Modesto Bee. The Bee caught up with up and comer Jeremy Renner (currently turning heads in the much buzzed about The Hurt Locker), and he revealed that he was trying to get behind the wheel of a famous black Interceptor. "I'm also fighting to do the new Mad Max film with George Miller. That might be next summer. I'm screen-testing and meeting George Miller."A screen test is a long way from a casting announcement (just think about who all screen tested for The Green Lantern), but it's the first news to come out of the long delayed Max Max reboot / remake project in some time. Obviously, Renner is being vague enough that he might not even be referring to trying out for the part of Mr. Rockatansky, but come on. If you name drop Mad Max, you're trying out for Max, which suggests this will be a straight up remake.
Read the rest at SciFi Squad
Jodie Foster Directs Mel Gibson and his 'Beaver'
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Deals »
Back in April, I wondered if we can forget reality when watching actors on the big screen. Well, if there's any way to re-warm ourselves to thoughts of Mel Gibson, how about the story of a man and his beaver puppet?That wacky story (the one that had Jim Carrey circling it back in May) is now in the hands of Gibson, with Jodie Foster officially signed as director, according to Variety. Kyle Killen's Blacklist script focuses on a depressed toy manufacturer (Gibson) who comforts himself with his beaver hand-puppet. There's no sexual innuendo in this -- he thinks of his faux beaver friend as a sort of "human creature with human feelings" -- a la Lars and the Real Girl.
On top of directing this puppy, her first film since 1995's Home for the Holidays, Foster will play his wife. And with that, I think this may be one of the most interesting projects to come our way. Sure, it's got the strange premise and promising comparisons to the likes of Lars and Being John Malkovich, but it's much more irresistible for the combination of talent. With Steve Carell and Jay Roach, or the later-circling Jim Carrey, the film isn't so hard to imagine. But out-of-nowhere picks like Gibson and Foster? It just leads to questions about why they'd pick this piece of quirk, and what they'll make of it.
Are you ready for Mel, Jodie, and his beaver?
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