MiloVentimiglia Tagged Articles at Cinematical

As I discovered yesterday, it doesn't always pay to make assumptions, so this time I'm going to let the news speak for itself. Over at AICN, a loyal reader and reviewer named "Sexy Whisk" managed to score a seat at an early preview of Gerard Butler's Game and provided us all with some very special deets. Judging from what they had to say, it's not looking good for the video game-inspired flick. So where to begin? According to the review, the action is a let down, the cast is wasted, and most of the film rides a fine line of creepy and offensive (if you don't believe me, you can read the full review here).

Game stars Butler as the leading player in an online fight to the death. This Running Man-style narrative has the added twist that the players in this game are controlled by the viewers (apparently by brain chips and nano-technology), but it all gets a little complicated from there. Remember, this is a movie from the men who brought you the Crank series, (Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor) so it's not like realistic plot points are their specialty. Joining in on the fun are Michael C. Hall (Dexter) as the nefarious creator of the game, and Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia as another player with the charming name of Rick Rape.

Despite what "Sexy Whisk" might have to say, I guess that is the beauty of a movie review -- it's just one opinion after all. (And since this was a test screening, there's still a chance the filmmakers will change some things around.) So for those of us who can't say no to an action flick (or a shirtless Gerard Butler), keep in mind it is not over yet. Maybe Lionsgate will take the hint and perform a little spit polish and shine before Game hits theaters in 2009.

Do you like video games? How about The Running Man? If your answer to both of these questions is yes, then you're in luck because a Gerard Butler fan site has provided a scan of the July issue of Empire magazine, which includes a sneak peek at the video game thriller, Game, starring Butler and Michael C. Hall (Dexter). OK, so they aren't the greatest photos, but they will remind audiences that the film will at least have stuff blowing up. Crank creators Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor wrote the script and also directed, and I can only assume the two will be doing what they do best: ridiculous action set pieces and over the top machismo.

Game centers on a 'not too distant future' where the most popular past time is an online game called Slayers. But this isn't your usual MMORPG; instead, gamers get to control real-life convicts. Butler stars as Kabel, the most popular contestant who has caught the eye of resistance fighters looking to bring down the games creator, Castle (played by Hall). The cast also includes Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Alison Lohman (Beowulf), John Leguizamo, and Christopher 'Ludacris' Bridges.

Game is scheduled to arrive in theaters this fall.

Yet another movie withheld from press screenings, Pathology isn't exactly a horror movie, though it does contain a good amount of gore. It inspired me to coin a new subgenre: "secret underground club of life and death" movies. In these films, two or more young people get together and use logic and intellect to cut through the dreary, soul-deadening reality of life and get closer to something more metaphysical, usually involving death or sex or both. Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) is an early example, in which two students kill a man for sport, and then throw a dinner party with the corpse hidden in the very center of the room, just to see what it would be like. Other examples might include Flatliners (1990), Crash (1996) and Fight Club (1999). (Am I forgetting any?) Unfortunately, in conjuring up these other examples, Pathology quickly collapsed in comparison.

As if the current cast for the upcoming action/heist movie Armored wasn't enough, they've just added a Hero to make things more tasty -- it's even the most powerful hero out there. Variety reports that Milo Ventimiglia has signed on for a role in the film. Now, before I go further, the reason I'm not mentioning the inclusion of Morpheus and a certain Professional, who are also listed in the Variety blurb -- those guys were already attached earlier this month, when I posted about Skeet Ulrich's involvement. So, as it stands now, the film features: Matt Dillon, Columbus Short, Fred Ward, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Ulrich, and Ventimiglia. Not a bad cast, eh?

The film, which is currently shooting in Los Angeles, focuses on "a young armored car guard who is persuaded by his veteran cohorts to empty a truck of its $10 million cargo." Now we just have to wait and see who the young guy is -- Short or Ventimiglia? I'd say the former, since Milo just signed on. It'd be sort of weird to have the main dude picked last. If screenwriter James V. Simpson delivered a decent script, and director Nimrod Antal sets this up right, this could be one sweet heist movie. If it doesn't come together, well, it'd be a shame, because this cast is just great.

American Eagle Outfitters is dipping its leather sandal-clad toes into the film business. Variety reports that the clothing manufacturer has launched an entertainment production arm called 77E. 77E will produce "original web series and content around events it sponsors, but also will use the entity to segue into TV, movies and music." The first self-produced AE project is a "webisodic comedy" about mall employees called It's a Mall World. The project was directed by Heroes star and Rocky's son, Milo Ventimiglia, who once asked out a friend of mine. The series stars Sam Huntington (Not Another Teen Movie, Superman Returns), and was written by Adam Green (Hatchet).

Where can you see these videos? Content will be available on AE.com, on video screens in American Eagle stores (can't a man shop in peace?), and through outside partners like MTV, which is showing Mall World. Clips will also be available on myspace, facebook, and youtube, which I am told are popular internet webbysites. Kathy Savitt, executive Vice President of American Eagle Outfitters, says of the kids today: "Content is so important to who they are and how they're living their life. They're so smart and discriminating. We need to make deposits into the cool jar." I would think step one on the path to being cool would be eliminating phrases like "cool jar" from one's vocabulary, but what do I know? AE's first film tie-in is expected to debut shortly. Can a deal between Abercrombie & Fitch and Larry Clark be far behind?

For fans of the TV show Heroes currently suffering from withdrawal until it's return on April 23rd, they can at least content themselves with some casting news for one of the stars. Variety reports that Milo Ventimiglia, has signed to star in the thriller Pathology for Lakeshore and MGM. The story centers on a group of medical students who devise a competition to see who can commit a crime that even their fellow pathologists could not figure out. First-time feature director Mark Scholermann will helm the picture, and the cast includes Lauren Lee Smith; fresh off the horror flick Trick 'r Treat (produced by Bryan Singer), and Alyssa Milano.

For the few, and I mean very few people who are not watching Heroes, Ventimiglia plays Peter Petrelli, the younger brother in a family with "superpowers." He had some big-screen experience last year, playing the son of Rocky in Rocky Balboa, but he is probably most recognizable as the "Rogue-esque" superhero on the NBC hit. Pathology is set to start production this May and is aiming for a fall release, just in time to cash in on some season premier buzz -- although after the last episode, I'm curious to see if he even makes it to next season.