Skip to Content

Exclusive: Rock Band Unplugged Track List

NormanReedus Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Review: The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

Filed under: Action », Comedy », Independent », New Releases », New in Theaters », Remakes and Sequels »



The original Boondock Saints was relegated to video store shelves before most would-be fans had an inkling it had passed them by in theaters. But eventually, chances are one night a friend would suggest watching this weird, violent movie about hot twin brothers with a serious gun fetish, Catholic complex, and Latin tattoos, and you'd pass the word along. Basically, Murphy MacManus (Norman Reedus) and Connor MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery) were blue-collar Irish guys who decided that they'd had enough of the scum on the streets and began wiping them out in various creative ways, although their favorite weapons were and remain the gun. Their buddy Rocco, a mob errand boy, was the de facto third Saint. Meanwhile, they're being tracked by a very odd FBI agent by the name of Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe in a fabulously bizarre performance) and three bumbling local cops. And then there's Il Duce (Billy Connolly), the infamous assassin who's finally paroled from prison.

Ten years later, the Saints are in Ireland with Il Duce, aka their dad, when the word comes that someone in Boston killed a priest they knew and tried to make it look like the Saints did it. Game on. The boys shed their woolly sweaters and their long hair and beards and return to Boston.

Interview: 'Boondock Saints II' Director Troy Duffy

Filed under: Action », Comedy », Independent », New Releases », Interviews », Remakes and Sequels »



The MacManus brothers are back with guns blazing in the long-awaited sequel to The Boondock Saints. The Saints are living in Ireland with dear old dad (Billy Connolly) when they get word a priest in Boston has been killed in a way that sets them up to be the fall guys. Long-haired and bearded from the Irish winters, they shed their hair (and their clothes) to head back to Beantown to set things straight. They're joined by a new Saint, Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr. with a sweet mullet), along with the trio of cops from the first movie. And although the unforgettable FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe) is nowhere to be found, Special Agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz) is on the case, full of piss and vinegar just behind that sweet Southern smile.

Who's behind the murder? Why do they want to lure the boys back to Boston? You'll have to see The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day to find out. Meanwhile, Duffy spilled the beans on the legions of diehard Boondock fans, including his femme fanbase, his critics, and what he thinks women want from men these days. Read on after the jump ...

'Boondock Saints'' Troy Duffy and Billy Connolly Praise Fans, Blast Critics

Filed under: Action », Drama », New Releases », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Distribution », DIY/Filmmaking », Remakes and Sequels »

Last night at an all-media screening for The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, audience members – both fans who had lined up for blocks to get in to see the stars and director of this long-awaited sequel and journalists – were treated to a colorful Q&A session with the director of Boondock, Troy Duffy, and its stars Billy Connolly, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Norman Reedus.

After Duffy told the audience where the afterparty would be held, a journalist asked why there was so much time between movies. Duffy was somewhat discreet, replying, "There was a rather serious bit of litigation. We sued the people who financed Boondock I and a bunch of people that distributed it, as the movie was extremely financially successful and myself, the producers, and none of the actors saw a cent of that so me and CB [producer Chris Brinker] went after them."

He went on to add, "When you're writing for a sequel and there's a movie that's been deemed sacred ground by the fanbase that's the predecessor, you cannot do anything to tread on that, so it's a bit trickier than just being able to sit down and write something."

Say Four Hail Marys for the 'Boondock Saints 2' Trailer

Filed under: Action », Sony », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »



I really didn't think The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day would actually make it to completion. Given the legend of Troy Duffy and the decade that's passed since the original, I thought it'd be a lot of "It's filming soon!" announcements via Duffy's blog, and never come to be. But it has, and here's its first trailer, courtesy of IGN.

Now, let me be honest. I don't loathe The Boondock Saints as much as I probably should. It's one of those films that escaped my notice for years until the t-shirts started showing up at Hot Topic, and guys I knew were dressing as the Saints for Halloween. I watched it, I laughed at the rope scene, and then never thought about it again. Until now, and something tells me I'm going to experience a wave of cultish fandom that will really bug me.

Or not. Even from my lukewarm Saints stance, the trailer is really pretty boring. There's a lot of gun loading, a lot of shooting, a lot of leaping, and a really hideous moment involving Julie Benz's FBI Agent and her high heels. It does feel like some kind of portal into 1999 cool, and the fact that Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus haven't aged a day in ten years just makes it an even creepier time warp. But if you love, love, love all things Boondock Saints, something tells me you'll be thrilled by everything promised here. Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Days hits theaters on October 30.






Casting Bites: Josie Ho, Emily Rios, and Norman Reedus

Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Music & Musicals », Casting », Games and Game Movies »

The bunny is almost here, giving me a reason to overindulge in hardboiled eggs, but right now, it's still the work week, and here are some casting nibblets from Variety:
  • Chinese singer and actress Josie Ho has nabbed herself her Hollywood debut in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Unfortunately, although production has begun in Thailand, there is no word on who she's playing. (She also discusses her casting on her blog, but doesn't mention her role.) You might have caught the actress in Johnny To's Exiled back in 2006, or more recently, as Sina in last year's drama, The Drummer. She's also one of the top 20 Most Intriguing Heiresses, being the daughter of Stanley Ho and all.
  • Emily Rios wowed audiences with Quiñceanera back in 2006 (Kim had reviewed it from Sundance). After a handful of roles since, she's picked up a gig in the upcoming Helen Mirren-starring prostitution story, Love Ranch. She will, of course, play a young call girl in the film. Other than casting announcements, not much is coming from set. However, in a discussion over at IMDb, they've linked to Bai Ling's blog, where she posts self portraits of her character.
  • Lastly, we've got a little testosterone to throw into the mix. Norman Reedus, who recently played detective Norman Reilly in American Gangster, is about to get musical. He's joined the cast of the Adrien Brody-starring Cadillac Records. Will he be a music great, or just some passerby? Hopefully we'll see who is filling the roles of the other classic musicians soon.

 
.