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Johnny Depp to Bail Out Nicolas Cage?

Filed under: RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand »



To further prove that people with lots of money still care about people who used to have lots of money, The Daily Express reports that Johnny Depp may help bail actor Nicolas Cage out of his growing financial problems. Cage, as you may or may not know, is in some serious debt. He's already had two of his homes go into foreclosure, he owes something like $6 million in back taxes and he's currently suing his former business manager for $20 million claiming he sent "him down a path toward financial ruin."

Now, though, things may be looking up for Cage as Depp could be coming to his rescue. The Daily Express says that Depp has contacted Cage and told him not to worry, that he'll sort everything out. Why Depp, you ask? Isn't that sorta random? What, was Depp a big fan of Con Air or something? Actually, no -- Depp feels like he owes his career to Cage in a way since Cage reportedly recommended Depp to his agent wayyy back in the day when Depp was a struggling musician. The story goes that Cage's recommendation led to Depp nabbing a role in the original Nightmare on Elm Street (his first), and the rest is history.

So, is Johnny Depp really going to pony up some crazy cash to bail Nicolas Cage out of trouble? And can Hollywood somehow find a way to turn that into a movie with both power actors starring opposite one another? And would you go to see it?

Cinematical Seven: Silliest Disaster Scenarios

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », New Line », Paramount », 20th Century Fox », Cinematical Seven », Lists »



We both know that I could probably fill all seven slots of this list with just scenes from Roland Emmerich's disaster-tastic 2012, but in the interests of letting everyone else get a chance to see it, let's stick with films that have already come and gone. Some of these titles qualify because of the uniquely ridiculous nature of their disasters, while others count for what ridiculous plots unfold amidst otherwise ordinarily perilous acts of nature.

There will be a couple of spoilers to go along with our picks, but since most of these have been out for a couple of years, it's not like it's the end of the world...

Should Herzog Have Made 'Bad Lieutenant'?

Filed under: Remakes and Sequels »



Werner Herzog's new film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans has raised all kinds of hackles, mainly over the "remake" issue. Some movie buffs are crying foul over the remaking of Abel Ferrara's classic Bad Lieutenant (1992), including Ferrara himself, who launched some famously acid comments in the press. This fuss has caused most critics to address the issue of how closely the two films resemble one another. In most cases, critics have concluded that the two films are entirely different with totally different feels and approaches.

Frankly, I'm fascinated by the two films, given that both directors are crazy mavericks, both indulging in their looniest personal whims, no matter what the cost or the outcome. This is not a remake in which anyone is concerned with "staying true to the material" or anything boring like that. Ferrara went nuts on his original film, and Herzog has gone nuts on the new film. Herzog has claimed that he never even saw Ferrara's film, and indeed, it more closely resembles his own earlier films with Klaus Kinski, with Nicolas Cage playing the part of the unhinged, psychopathic terror onscreen. (Most people I have spoken to have compared Cage's performance with some of his earlier, more extreme work, such as Vampire's Kiss).

See A Little 'Kick-Ass' In This Teaser Trailer

Filed under: Action », Comedy », Independent », Lionsgate Films », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Trailers and Clips »


The teaser trailer for Kick-Ass has arrived! Having been subjected to so much hype by everyone luckier than me at ComicCon, it's a bit of a let down because there's just not much ass-kicking going on. It's basically an animated version of the poster, introducing you to the characters while showing a little more blood and smacks. But hey, this is just the beginning and I don't expect them to spill all the cool stuff in the first glimpse.

I do like what I see, though. On the surface it looks like a teenage Watchmen but with a lot of emphasis on how fun it is to be a vigilante. There's no awkward geek humor on display. The characters are young comic book fans, but we aren't subjected to any "Ow, it hurts to be an action hero" moments. Instead, it's all about the action and potential for violence. Kick-Ass is confident! He doesn't shirk from being a superhero. In his mind, he's as worthy as Batman, and he's able to take the pain and punches. I like that, and I expected no less from Matthew Vaughn. My favorite remains Hit Girl, though. Her costume is practical, there's nothing creepy or sexual about her (so far), and her knife-flinging is lethal. Plus, she does appear to have Nite Owl's greatest fan as her father. The resemblance goes further than just the poster, and I want to believe we'll leave this theater saying "This makes up for Bangkok Dangerous, Mr. Cage."

The trailer is embedded below the jump, courtesy of MySpace. Kick-Ass hits theaters April 16, 2010.

'Kick-Ass' Is Coming! Get Ready!

Filed under: Action », Independent », Lionsgate Films », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Images », Posters »


Exclusives have become tricky things in our field that I held off sharing these Kick-Ass posters, which debuted on IGN on Friday. But now you might need some inspiration for your Monday in the form of home made teenage vigilantes. Kick-Ass is based on the Mark Millar miniseries, and is directed by Matthew Vaughn. It's had a pretty crazy ride to the big-screen, as when it was first optioned no studio wanted to touch it because of its teenage violence and foul language. Vaughn went the indie route and it's paid off with a lot of ComicCon buzz, fan enthusiasm, and a distributor in Lionsgate.

So far, Lionsgate is handling the marketing well. The poster designs are quite classy (I've put a high-res version in the gallery), which go with the daring approach of not showing a single face. Instead we only get the, ahem, asses of Red Mist, Kick-Ass, Hit Girl, and Big Daddy. I particularly like the nod to Nite Owl in Big Daddy's silhouette. Very appropriate for something that borrows from the real world "heroes" of Watchmen, no?

In a sign that its April 16, 2010 date isn't too far away, the official site went live on Friday and the trailer is set to debut on MySpace in 12 days. We'll bring it to you here on Cinematical, so no need for you to stress ... just us! Hey, we're vigilantes in our own way.

Gallery: Kick-Ass

Review: Astro Boy

Filed under: Action », Animation », Comedy », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Theatrical Reviews », Family Films », Comic/Superhero/Geek »



A feature-length adaptation of the classic Japanese manga, Astro Boy now comes equipped with a recycling message, both in its story and with its screenplay. Parts feel pieced together here and there from other, better, sometimes darker films, aligning the film itself less with our young protagonist and his knack for salvaging old robots and more with the villain's ability to simply assimilate other devices until it becomes one ungainly mass. That said, there's plenty of color and spunk to keep the kids interested; they'll just have to wade through some atonal waters in order to get to the fun.

Will Chris Evans Join The Ranks of These Famous Film Hustlers?

Filed under: Drama », Casting », Newsstand »

The hooker with a heart of gold is a Hollywood staple, but usually when we're talking about the 'pay to play' types, we're dealing with the female species. So who better to take a role as 'man candy' than Chris Evans? I mean, just look to your right -- is it any surprise he's the crush of girls and guys everywhere? In an interview with Prestige, Sharon Stone told them she would be working with Evans in the somewhat poorly named drama, Satisfaction, where Evans will play a male prostitute whose career has hit the skids.

According to Stone, the story will center on Evans' character as he's beginning to lose his cache with his agency, but when he hooks up with a new client (played by Stone), his career soon begins to take off again. This is no Pretty Woman tale, though, because what starts off as a partnership between the two turns into a vicious battle of the sexes ... with plenty of, ahem, sex.

Evans is still filming the comic book adaptation The Losers, but then it's off to start work on Satisfaction which will start shooting this January on location in Europe.

After the jump: Evans joins the ranks of these famous Hollywood hustlers...

'Ghost Rider 2' Gets a Fuel Injection with David S. Goyer

Filed under: Action », Deals », Sony », RumorMonger », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Western »

Most of us didn't ask the Studio Powers That Be for a Ghost Rider 2, but it doesn't matter, because we'll be getting one. Back in January, the whispers began at Bloody-Disgusting that Columbia was gearing up another Ghost Rider run, and today it has come true. Variety reports that the studio is talking to none other than David S. Goyer to pen a new installment. Nicolas Cage is expected to return as Johnny Blaze, and former Marvel Studios' head Avi Arad will be producing.

Goyer was quick to say (via a spokesperson) that he wasn't officially signed, but that talks were underway to base Ghost Rider 2 on a script he did many years ago. If you'd like to know a little something about that script, you can read a review IGN did of it in 2000. Nothing ever dies thanks to the Internet and if nothing else, you can laugh at the rumors we once believed a decade ago. (Johnny Depp as Ghost Rider!)

At such early stages of fiery fuel injection, there's not much else to say. Since Mark Steven Johnson penned and directed the last one, it's probably safe to assume that if they want new writers, they'll probably want a new director. Variety hints that Columbia is keeping the property alive in order to retain its rights from Marvel, but it doesn't say whether or not they were up against a deadline. So, I'll quit talking and hand it over to the true Ghost Rider fans. Is there any hope for this one if Goyer gets involved? Anything you want to see from a particular Ghost Rider run? Speak up now, and maybe you can influence its pre-production.

Crisis Averted: A Look at Nicolas Cage's Superman?

Filed under: RumorMonger », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Images »



I was always intrigued by the notion of Nicolas Cage as Superman. It seemed insane, but possibly brilliant, especially in a time before the craptastic fare that Cage has busied himself with recently. But man, if the above image is legit, we dodged the biggest bullet ever. Tim Burton JP revealed the above stunner, which is supposed to be one of Cage's costume tests for the production. It looks one teeny tiny degree away from rubber nipples. So much for my visions of Cage in stretchy cotton!

As IGN outlined, the Warner Bros. production of Superman Lives was gearing up back in the late '90s, with Cage playing Supes, and Tim Burton directing from a screenplay by Kevin Smith (that was rewritten by Wesley Strick). But the budget was expanding out of control, and after concept art and costumes were designed, the project was scrapped (Hallelujah!) and ultimately reworked into the less-than-stellar Superman Returns many years later.

I love the Burton, but he really would've rivaled Joel Schumacher for ridiculous superhero costumes if this made it to the big screen. Could this possibly be real? Could you have stomached Superman donning a cape and faux-muscled body suit?

Nic Cage Ditches 'Green Hornet' Because It Lacked Humanity

Filed under: Action », Casting », Comic/Superhero/Geek »

Nicolas Cage told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival that he decided to drop out of Michel Gondry's adaptation of The Green Hornet because he wasn't satisfied by the way his character, the Green Hornet's nemesis Chudnofsky, was written. According to Cage, the character lacked "humanity" and any sort of background as to why he was a bad guy, and that he "wasn't interested in just being just a straight-up bad guy who was killing people willy-nilly."

It's a bit hard to take Cage's explanation seriously, since he was at the festival to promote his new movie, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, directed by Werner Herzog. As Eugene Novikov wrote in his review of the movie, Cage's character is the self-serious yet off-the-wall type we've come to expect from the actor.
Bad Lieutenant has several of the year's highlights, including a tour de force in which Lieutenant McDonagh stops a pair of youngsters on their way home from a club, confiscates their drugs, snorts them, and has sex with the girl while forcing the guy to watch. (You have to imagine this performed in a full-on Nic Cage-ean fury for the full effect.) He's one bad Lieutenant indeed, though the movie makes clear that he has an honest streak: he'll pocket all the dope he can, but -- unlike his partner, played by Val Kilmer -- he stops short at, say, murdering a drug dealer in "self-defense" to pocket his money.
He also points a gun at a grandmother, smokes crack, and hallucinates an iguana. Let's not forget his tour de force of beating up women in the absolutely unnecessary remake of The Wicker Man. But a comic book character bad guy -- no way!

Instead, Christoph Waltz from Inglourious Basterds will be taking over. Ironically enough, Waltz's ability to bring an eerie humanity to his character Col. Hans Landa (aka the Jew Hunter) won him the Best Actor award at Cannes and has Oscar watchers already placing bets on a Supporting Actor nomination. Although I'll miss Nic Cage's hysterical outbursts in The Green Hornet, chances are good that Waltz will be a better baddie.
 
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