PaulMcguigan Tagged Articles at Cinematical
400 Screens, 400 Blows - A Song and a Push
Filed under: Columns », 400 Screens, 400 Blows »
400 Screens, 400 Blows is a weekly column that takes an in-depth look at the films playing below the radar, beneath the top ten, and on 400 screens or less.
This week I was thinking of two very different movies, both in need of a boost. One of my favorites of 2009 so far is Fados (1 screen), which I saw last year, but has happily received a theatrical release this year. Director Carlos Saura generally makes movies with music and dancing as a main theme, such as in his Oscar nominated films Carmen (1983) and Tango (1998). He's not mentioned very often with the names of the world's greatest filmmakers, but his films have recently earned the distinction of a Criterion DVD release (Cría cuervos) and a Criterion Eclipse DVD box set. Fados is more or less a collection of music videos, all performed in the Portuguese fado style. The music is very sentimental, passionate and sad, very often about poverty and lost loves.
Review: Push
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », New in Theaters »
Maybe it's all in the context.
Earlier this week, I saw He's Just Not That Into You, which took place in Baltimore and may as well have taken place in the Mojave Desert or on a blank stage; the filmmakers didn't incorporate that city's personality in the slightest. It's a totally generic cityscape, and it doesn't help the already underwritten characters. The other thing that movie did was to drag on past the two-hour mark, obsessively wrapping up even the tiniest scraps of plot thread, or, in other words, flogging a dead horse. But then, the following night, I saw Paul McGuigan's Push. While not a classic by any stretch, I was endlessly impressed by how thoroughly the filmmakers incorporated its Hong Kong location; it feels like they actually spent real time there, and understood some of the local customs. And, at the end, the film merely stops when it gets to a satisfying stopping point, even though there's a bit more plot left to go. (It's the old showbiz adage: "always leave them wanting more.") It felt great, like someone was alive behind the camera, actually thinking about ways to make the movie.
Brand-New Trailer for Action-Heavy 'Push'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
I don't care if it sounds like half of X-Men and it looks like two-thirds of Heroes: This new action flick Push is now officially on my radar in a big way. The guys over at Empire are pretty psyched about it as well, and they remind us that director Paul McGuigan was in attendance at San Diego Comic Con to share some very nifty footage.As far as the plot goes, it seems to go like this: A group of normal people with some very special powers are being tracked down by an agency full of other people with very special powers. Only evil. But while Push does indeed sound a lot like Heroes, this new trailer indicates that it also looks like a lot of fun. Cast members include Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning as good guys and Djimon Hounsou as one nasty-looking bad guy.
Anyway, the flick doesn't hit until next February, so enjoy the trailer now. Empire even has a trailer breakdown for those who enjoy the minutiae.
Djimon Hounsou & Dakota Fanning Will 'Push'
Filed under: Thrillers », Casting », Deals », Scripts »
Those pesky U.S. government agencies -- they always have to make things difficult. No, I'm not talking about getting a passport, although that seems to be hellish these days, but about the groups looking to capture or neutralize the "different" people. After watching E.T. and similar films as a kid, I've had a love/hate relationship with special abilities -- I've wanted to read minds, see the future, etcetera, but I also feared that some scary, government agency would then hunt me down and conduct tests and experiments on me. If the government didn't get me, I was sure some corporation would fool me into working for them and fulfilling their evil plans, like Dark Visions. Not fun.It looks like my fantastical childhood fear is going to be relived on the big screen soon with a supernatural thriller called Push. The film stars Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond), Dakota Fanning (Hounddog), Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) and Camilla Belle (The Chumscrubber) as young American ex-pats who are hiding out in Hong Kong. See, they all have telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities, so they're trying to hide from a government agency. As The Hollywood Reporter describes it: "They must band together and use their different talents to try to escape the control of the division." Where's Magneto and Professor X when you need them?! The film, which was written by David Bourla, will be directed by Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin).
Paul McGuigan Denies Deathlok Rumors
Filed under: Action », Deals », RumorMonger », Scripts », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Non-geeks of the world are probably scratching their collective heads in confusion at the idea of a Deathlok movie from Marvel comics, wondering "who in the
world is Deathlok, and why does he have such a corny name?" Likewise, many of the geeks among us are somewhat
baffled by the announcement ourselves; not wondering WHO, of course, but rather WHY? Personally, I'm rather bemused by
the concept, and I'll definitely go to see it (and in all candid honesty I'll probably end up buying the DVD as well),
but I do wonder why exactly Marvel chose him out of their vast pantheon. Maybe they see him as a good character piece -
something a bit more than the usual "hey, I've got awesome powers that I'm going to use to blow up baddies"
shtick. Ideas on that?At any rate, rumor has long claimed that director Paul McGuigan (recently of Lucky Number Slevin) would be attached to the project as director, but apparently that is not the case. SuperHeroHype recently spoke with McGuigan, who denied any involvement with the future film. I wonder who will be next on the rumor-mill...
Equalizer movie gets a director
Filed under: Action », Drama », Thrillers », Deals », The Weinstein Co. », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
We reported back in December that an Equalizer
movie
was officially on the way. At the time, producer Mace
Neufeld (the man behind the Jack Ryan series) was in place, but the Weinstein brothers had yet to find either their
director or star. Though the latter opening still exists, the former has been filled by Scottish director Paul McGuigan. McGuigan watched the series as a kid - "Growing up
in Scotland, there were few channels and good shows to watch, and this was one that penetrated my psyche" - and,
reassuringly, claims that he would never age McCall down to conform to the current Hollywood style.I don't know about you, but I think I'll cling to McGuigan's affection for the show as a good sign, and try to ignore the fact that his track record (Lucky Number Slevin, which was liked by pretty much no one who saw it at Sundance, is his most recent effort) is less than stellar. That said, what he needs most now, clearly, is our prayers as he tries to stand up to the suits, who will inevitably demand that the film star someone young and pretty. How does "Chad Michael Murray, Equalizer" strike you?
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
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Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
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