Ruben Fleischer Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The world as we know it has come to an end, and that's not much more of an inconvenience for Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) than he was already used to. He's a Mountain Dew-chugging loser whose introverted ways have turned him into an ideal loner for the post-apocalyptic realm -- as paranoid, vigilante and neurotic as they come, beholden only to his own strict set of rules (cardio good, bathrooms bad, always shoot zombies twice, etc.).

And so, while he doesn't want to become attached to the scruffy likes of Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), their chance meeting provides as good an excuse as any for Columbus to try and recover whatever's left of his family in... well, Columbus. Oh, the names? Again, no one wants to get too attached once the infection hits the fan. That's just how one tends to roll as a resident of Zombieland.

And before I make things out to sound so serious, director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick make their tone perfectly evident from the start. A groom is tackled by his zombie bride; a mother is chased down by her undead honor student daughters. So on, so forth, and so long, status quo. For the survivors, though, there's a little fun to be had here and there. Any man, woman or child can nab themselves the title of Zombie Kill of the Week. A store-smashing spree can help let off a little steam. And who's to stop a young girl (Abigail Breslin) and her older sis (Emma Stone) from heading off to California in order to make the most of a deserted theme park?

Read the rest over at Horror Squad

Saturday was another busy day at Comic Con, and two of the movies a lot of folks were chatting up on Twitter and around the convention floor were Zombieland and 2012. Zombieland, of course, is that awesome-looking zombie comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and Woody Harrelson. We already shared a report from the set with you (read that over at Horror Squad), but only at Con did Cinematical's Kevin Kelly have a chance to chat up the film's director, Ruben Fleischer, along with its star Jesse Eisenberg. Zombieland hits theaters on October 9. Watch both of those videos after the jump.

Meanwhile, Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) is back to destroy the world with epic amounts of special effects in his new movie 2012. Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, and Thandie Newton, word is this flick will be the mother of all disaster movies -- and while Emmerich has made a name for himself destroying cities using a number of creative ways, this movie looks to take that up a notch and then some. 2012 hits theaters on November 13. Check out what Emmerich had to say to Kevin Kelly about 2012 (he calls this his "flood movie") and the end of the world after the jump.

I always seem to start these pieces the same way: "I don't normally do set visits," given my general distaste for air travel and a frequent disinterest for movie sets, but once in a while ... something fun and easy comes along, and I go for the ride. The friendly folks at Sony invited me to visit the set of a flick called (wait for it) Zombieland! Come on! If you know anything about me, then you know "Zombieland" is a place I want to visit, even if it is just a movie set! (Oh, and the flight was from Philadelphia to Atlanta, and that really helped to seal the deal.)

So I arrive in the surprisingly quiet but very charming section of Atlanta (a city I'd love to revisit soon) and am greeted by several gracious colleagues -- and ... what's this? Mr. James Rocchi, an old friend to Cinematical and one of my very best buddies? He was here for the Zombieland set visit too? Toss in a quick beer with some of my Signal pals ... and this turned out to be a smart trip.

But here's where I'll let you in on a little secret. Gather 'round, movie geeks. Ready? Here it is: movie sets are really boring! No, it's true! It's like wandering through a stunningly orchestrated construction site that also has a tiny little stage play taking place in a corner somewhere. If you're interested in the crafts of photography, fashion, carpentry, or electrical engineering, then a movie set could be pretty fascinating. (But you'd keep getting bumped into, believe me.) Luckily for us, "set visits" are just a bit more elaborate than a normal day on the set...



(Much) more right here at HorrorSquad!

When it comes to 'Zombie comedy', (if that is even such a thing), you have to admit that it is going to pretty difficult to top Shaun of The Dead -- but you can't blame someone for trying. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Whale) has signed to star opposite Woody Harrelson in the horror-comedy, Zombieland. According to THR, "Eisenberg is in negotiations to play Flagstaff, a terrified shut-in whose cowardice makes him an expert at surviving the zombies but who is forced out of his shell to join the band of survivors, which includes Harrelson."

Zombieland was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and is about a "mismatched pair of survivors who find friendship and redemption in a world overrun by zombies." So I guess that makes Zombieland a comedy, a horror, and a 'feel-good' buddy flick? Ruben Fleischer has already signed to direct, and is a relative newcomer to the world of feature films. Fleischer might only have a few credits to his name, but he can include the dubious distinction of being one of the people responsible for unleashing Rob & Big onto the world.

Zombieland could be a gamble for Columbia. 'R rated' comedy has yet to prove that it can compete at the box-office, so it was only a matter of time before studios started tacking on a body count. Personally, I think I'll just hold out for Seth and Jay vs. The Apocalypse instead. How about you?

I guess that if there is anyone suitable to be a zombie fighter, it'd be a guy who has experience as a Natural Born Killer. (If you can bring down humans, slow, mumbling zombies must be a breeze.) The Hollywood Reporter posts that Woody Harrelson has signed on to star in a new horror comedy called Zombieland.

This brains-obsessed tale will focus on "a mismatched pair of survivors who find friendship and redemption in a world overrun by zombies." Woody will be one of the two survivors -- "a zombie fighter named Albuquerque." There's no word yet on zombie hunter #2. But more importantly -- where does the redemption fit in?!

The film was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who worked together on The Joe Schmo Show, although more suitable credits would be Reese's involvement on Monsters Inc. Jumping into the directorial chair, we've got Ruben Fleischer -- most recently a director for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he's also worked with Mike White on Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl.

After reading the following news story, all I could think of was that Seinfeld episode where Jerry places a Pez dispenser on the empty seat between him and Elaine while the two are supposed to be enjoying a piano performance from George's girlfriend. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

Well, Pez is once again making its comeback, this time at the center of a new movie called Psycho Funky Chimp. Pic, which just brought on Ruben Fleischer to make his feature directorial debut, will be produced by MTV Films and Todd Phillips. Story will follow some dude in his mid-twenties who purchases Psycho Funky Chimp, an extremely rare Pez dispenser. However, he soon discovers a slew of "vultures, thieves and fanboys" out to claim what he now owns, making him question whether the acquisition was worth it.

On a related note, my mother just recently bought me a 3-foot high Pez dispenser thinking I would dig the thing. Um, mom -- it seriously scared me. But thanks anyway!