I was first introduced to Lars von Trier through the horror and thrills of The Kingdom (Riget). I had never even heard of Lars before, but for some reason, I let myself be talked into buying the DVD -- at full, foreign import price -- and it was worth it. I was quickly engulfed in the strange world and hungered for more chills, von Trier style. Unfortunately, I've had to wait a good decade. Now, through the haze of depression, and reports that trickled out all the way back in September of 2006, Variety tells us that the English-language Antichrist is still on, Lars is still shooting it, and it will launch production in Germany this summer. Yes, that means von Trier is traveling to Germany -- a big step for the filmmaker.
Early reports were tight-lipped on the plot, but now there's a few nibbles. The film will focus on "a couple who retreat to a cabin in the woods to recover from the death of their child." Cabin in the woods, ooo, cabin in the woods, yeah. Oh, there's nothing like a cabin in the woods. But that's not all that's being said about it. Talking to the Telegraph back in February, the filmmaker said that it's a "psychological thriller that evolves into a horror film."
If this can even tap into some of the essence of The Kingdom, this should become one sweet cinematic journey. Thoughts?
This weekend sees the release of Kimberly Peirce's Stop-Loss, about a soldier who returns from a grueling tour of duty in Iraq only to learn that he's being sent back for another one. The movie's not bad: very passionate, very angry, a bit didactic, and liberal to the core. (See our own Eric D. Snider's SXSW review here.) The "liberal" part is no surprise, at least not if you've been listening to the conservative pundits who have torn into Hollywood for what they see as anti-war propaganda masquerading as entertainment. Those same pundits like to gloat about Iraq War movies' perceived financial failure, holding up their box-office receipts as proof that the American people either aren't interested or aren't on the same page.
But have the Iraq War movies we've seen in the past couple of years actually performed all that poorly? And even if they have, does that have anything to do with public distaste for liberal Hollywood or its "propaganda"? Take a look at some numbers and share your thoughts after the jump.
DVD releases are a little wacky and slow due to the holiday, so here's some nibbles from this week. Happy whatever-it-is-your-celebrating-or-not!
The Kingdom Taking a cue from Babel, Peter Berg's The Kingdom details a deadly attack on American forces in Saudi Arabia that becomes an international news piece. However, unlike the other film, Berg's adds in the quest for retribution. While diplomats work slowly, an FBI special agent played by Jamie Foxx puts together a team to hunt down the man behind the attack. As our own James Rocchi described it: "if The Kingdom does offer bitter pills to swallow, it's also smart enough to offer a little action-flick sugar to help them go down." It's action also starring the likes of Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman, so it's hard to go wrong.
The DVD offers deleted scenes, a breakdown of "The Apartment Shootout" scene as well as another about "The Freeway Sequence," a making-of featurette, commentary, and even a history education piece. You can search a timeline of events to learn more about the issues through news stories and featurettes.
The Heartbreak Kid I admit, this is a bit of Christmas charity since it's a slow week of releases. The Heartbreak Kid probably wouldn't have made the list otherwise, but Merry Christmas, Ben Stiller. Coming to us from the Farrelly Brothers, who have brought us the likes of Dumb & Dumber, There's Something About Mary, and Stuck on You, The Heartbreak Kid tells the case of really, really bad timing -- the tale of a man who falls for someone else during his honeymoon. On the one hand, you've got Malin Akerman (who will soon kick butt in Zach Snyder's Watchmen) playing the wife who reveals her rough spots after marrying ol' Ben. On the other, there's Michelle Monaghan, who plays Stiller's perfect girl.
Like any good comedy DVD, the extras include a gag real, as well as commentary, deleted scenes, "The Farrelly Brothers in the French Tradition," "Ben & Jerry," "Heartbreak Halloween," and an egg toss, just in case you needed some added action on the disc. Check out James Rocchi's Review | Buy the DVD
Consider this a spoiler warning for the whole post, if you still haven't seen The Kingdom. The people over at RopeofSilicon have found the time amidst all their holiday shopping to sit down and listen to Peter Berg's director's commentary on the upcoming DVD of the film and it contains some interesting reveals. According to Berg, the original script had a fascinating and very dark ending -- too dark for it to make it through to the shooting stage. Remember the character of Haytham, the Saudi policeman who gets beaten by the scary general early in the film, because the general suspects he was involved with the terrorist plot? Well, turns out the general was on to something. The original ending of the film, scrapped by Berg, comes after the death of Abu Hamza and all his goons. We see the team going to the airport and all the Saudi good guys they've met during their trip are there to say goodbye to them, including Haytham. Here's how Berg tells it:
"In the original draft, at this moment, when Jamie went to say goodbye Jamie hugged him and he realized that [Haytham] was carrying a bomb on him and the character of Haytham detonated the bomb and the entire team was killed and it was a very powerful ending. At the end we decided it was just too much." Boo. That would have been a much more powerful ending, and much more evocative of the cultural ambiguity that Berg tries to set up with his current ending. I wish they would have at least shot that ending so that we could see how it plays out in comparison, on the DVD perhaps.
Considering how hard it is to get people to go see a Tom Cruise movie these days, it wouldn't be surprising if it was also hard to get a director who'll work with the guy. Of course, Cruise's waning bankability isn't the reason that his spy movie, the weakly titled Edwin A. Salt, has already lost Terry George and Michael Mann as potential directors. I'm not sure why they aren't doing the film (Mann apparently picked Public Enemiesinstead), but it can't be fears of a potentially low gross. No matter; they are out and Peter Berg (The Kingdom) is in, according to Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider Blog. Well, he's not quite in yet; Columbia Pictures is only reportedly wooing the guy, though in the end it's supposedly up to Cruise's approval whether or not he gets the gig. Interestingly enough, Berg can almost be viewed as a Mann protégé, since he produced The Kingdom and Berg's follow-up, next summer's Will Smith vehicle, Hancock (the trailer of which hit the net this week). However, it doesn't appear that Mann will have any involvement with Edwin A. Salt.
I won't admit to being the biggest fan of Berg's work (who could, really?), but I will admit that The Kingdom was one of my top ten movies of 2007. Though it's mainly on my list because all critics have to have that one obligatory mainstream Hollywood pick, I do think it was directed quite well, with a tone that perfectly suited what it was really about (American dreams of an '80s action-movie-type response to 9/11). Also, his Friday Night Lights (the film; I haven't seen the TV pilot he did) was better than most high school football movies. So, I'm excited to see what he can do with Cruise, a script from Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium) and the beginning-to-get-tired world of spies.
I may have initially hated Miami Vice, but it might be time to take another look. Especially because it's taking Michael Mann a long time to make a follow-up (though it's normal for him to take a few years between films). Lately he's been concentrating on producing, overseeing such pics as The Kingdom, which is currently in theaters, and the upcoming Hancock, which stars Will Smith. According to Variety, though, Mann has found a project that he's interested in directing next year, and it's to be another vehicle for Smith, who Mann previously directed to an Oscar nom in Ali. The drama, titled Empire, will also reunite Mann with screenwriter John Logan, with whom he worked, as a producer, on The Aviator. The plot involves a "contemporary global media mogul."
Other than that job title for (I'm assuming) Smith's character, little is known. But with such a great team involved, I don't think we need to worry. They're all very talented and respected (even if Logan did write the recent version of The Time Machine), Columbia apparently dished out at least a million bucks for the must-be-amazing pitch and I trust that Mann will not disappoint me again in the future. Something about this project -- perhaps the hint of corporate and media dealings -- makes me think it will be most in line with Mann's The Insider, which I think is his best film, even though it doesn't have a lot of action nor does it have Pacino and DeNiro face to face. Empire also won't feature classic Hollywood icons, like the film noir Mann and Logan were recently said to be making, but with that in mind, I think I'm anticipating this new project on less-kitschy grounds. Meanwhile, I'm also hoping that Smith make this a priority over Seven Pounds, his presumed next film (following Hancock) that returns him to the care of Pursuit of Happynessdirector Gabriele Muccino. I guess it all could come down to which film Smith thinks offers him a better chance at another Oscar nom for 2009.
For people in South Brooklyn, there are two great incentives to going to the movies on Tuesdays. Unfortunately, each is offered by a different theater. At the independently owned Cobble Hill Cinema, the attraction is discounted tickets -- $6.50 instead of the usual $9. Down the street, at the huge Regal Entertainment-owned UA Court Street Stadium 12, the deal is a free small popcorn -- upgraded to a medium for only 50 cents.
So, being a South Brooklynite, I typically schedule my movie going for Tuesdays. But how do I choose which theater to patronize? Well, obviously, the first factor is what movies each theater is showing. Normally, Cobble Hill has indie films and other similar, adult-oriented fare (I don't mean porn; I mean Elizabeth: The Golden Age) while the UA has mostly mainstream, studio pictures (e.g. The Heartbreak Kid). However, on occasion, they are both showing the one movie I want to see. This week, for instance, both theaters are running The Kingdom.
Because I'm both cheap and poor, the best draw seems to be Cobble Hill's discount ticket. But then if I'm going to buy popcorn (I almost always want popcorn), it isn't really any cheaper than going to the UA and paying $11.25 for a ticket and a medium bag. And as much as I'd like to say that you should always support the mom-and-pop business, the truth is that I prefer the projection, the seats and, most importantly, the corn at the UA. Besides, Cobble Hill offers its discount on Thursdays, too; so anytime I choose to see a movie on that day of the week, the smaller business is definitely first choice.
What do you get when you cross Citizen Kanewith Ruthless People? Something that sounds like the greatest movie ever, right? Well, we'll see if that's really what we get when Peter Berg makes a movie about the kidnapping of teenage heir J. Paul Getty III. According to Variety, the actor/director is developing a project based on John Pearson's book "Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortune and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty" (with that title, it sounds like another Bette Midler movie is thrown into the mix, too). For those who don't know the story, 16 year old Getty III was abducted in Rome and the kidnappers demanded $17 million. But his miserly grandfather -- the founder of Getty Oil -- initially refused to pay up. At first everyone thought the kid was pulling a prank. Eventually the poor teen's ear was mailed to the family. Finally, gramps paid, though he only did so with the assurance he'd be paid back by Getty II (his son) ... with interest. As for Getty III, well he became totally screwed up, turned to drugs and his life was ruined forever. Thanks grandpa!
The trade doesn't mention whether or not Berg, whose new film, The Kingdom, is now in theaters, will direct the pic; he's currently shooting the washed-up superhero movie Hancock, starring Will Smith, and then he's linked to a few other projects, including the true Navy SEAL story Lone Survivorr, the racehorse drama Gone Like the Wind, the Cheung foremake The Mission and the fantasy Bran Mak Morn. He will definitely be involved in producing the Getty film, through his company Film 44, along with Working Title's Chris Clark (Catch a Fire). The adaptation of Pearson's book is being written by Robin Shushman, an apparent newbie (no IMDb listing) who is also currently writing the script for The Contortionist's Handbook. Hopefully she will make the thing twisted enough, and possibly add in some relevance to how good today's spoiled heirs have it.
A world within a world comes crashing down in the opening sequence of The Kingdom, the new film from director (and uncredited actor) Peter Berg. An American compound inside Saudi Arabia, where ballgames and barbecues are the norm and uncovered female faces mock the law that applies outside the gates, is attacked by men with machine guns and bombs. The details are thoroughly convincing in this scene -- as machine gun fire sends the Americans fleeing in a panic, one of the terrorists, wearing the uniform of a Saudi policeman, falsely beckons some of them his way before setting off a vest of explosives. Later that night, after first-responders have quarantined the crime-scene and set up their own camp, a second-wave attack hits, destroying the entire area and creating a media event that has to be dealt with one way or the other by the American political machinery. This is a decent set-up for a movie, and it's as well-executed as you'd want a set-up to be, but it gives birth to an oddly-schizophrenic film.
You could almost call The Kingdom a double-feature, although it seems blithely unaware of its bifurcated status. To explain: the first half of the film -- actually, closer to two-thirds -- is professorial and serious, going so far as to offer the audience a tedious lecture on Saudi Arabia's history and political situation, balancing Western-style realpolitik with the needs of a population that seems to prefer living by religious teachings. As the aftermath of the compound bombing seeps back to Washington, an FBI team led by steely-eyed Jamie Foxx and comprised of Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman, seeks an entry point to the situation; they want to go investigate the bombing, but the State Department prefers to recognize the Saudi government's 'no boots on the ground' mandate, lest they come off as looking like puppets. Much screentime is given over to a scheme by Foxx to blackmail a Saudi diplomat in order to get his team access, and everything up to this point is deliberately structured as a political thriller. That's why the second part of the film is so surprising.
Director Peter Berg is trying for something very different in The Kingdom, and the end result is fascinating to watch on-screen, and well worth thinking about after. Berg's other films have all been spins on familiar genres, some more successful than others. Very Bad Things was a stab at bleak black comedy; The Rundown put fresh energy and effort into the tired buddy film; Friday Night Lights turned standard-issue sports film themes and scenes into a brisk, bracing portrait of small-town America. Now, with The Kingdom, he's taking the suspense and structure of a forensic police procedural and putting it on the world stage. After a terrorist attack on a Western oil-company compound in Saudi Arabia -- perfectly structured by Berg as a cascading series of nightmares that go from bad to worse to awful -- that leaves hundreds dead, FBI agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) is insistent that the FBI be allowed to put boots on the ground in Saudi Arabia, despite the insistence of the Saudi and American governments that any such deployment would be politically untenable for both parties.
These are not the concerns of your standard action-flick, but from the jump The Kingdom makes a different class of ambitions and aspirations strikingly clear: The opening credit sequence covers historical highpoints from 1932 (the founding of modern Saudi Arabia) to 1974 (the OPEC oil embargo) to 2001 (the 9-11 attacks, where 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens). There's a difference between background and backdrop, though, and I was glad to see that The Kingdom's Saudi setting isn't just left as a concern for the production design and costuming teams; it's woven into every moment of the film. It would have been easy to have The Kingdom take place in some fictional nation-state, and Berg and screenwriter Matthew Carnahan deserve credit for guts as opposed to taking the easy way out; when The Kingdom does feel thinly-drawn, perhaps that just confirms that the complex nature of Saudi society and our co-dependent relationship with it can't be fit onto the screen within a two-hour span.
I've always admired Peter Berg. I just have to give him credit for jumping from stints as sidekick Dexter Rutecki in Aspen Extreme and David Whitlock in Fire in the Sky, to a notable director who has helmed the likes of Very Bad Things, Friday Night Lights, and now, The Kingdom. On the eve of its wide release, Yahoo is hosting the film's opening sequence. Usually, I feel pretty iffy about moves like this -- a good opener is the way into a movie, and while it might be exciting to check it out from home, you don't want it to seem old by the time you hit the theater to see what follows. I am, however, happy to report that this time around, it was a great idea.
The Kingdom starts with a montage sweeping through the dustry sands of Saudi Arabia, briefly detailing the kingdom, the US, and its long history with oil, from 1932 to 2001. While that may sound boring, or even yawn-worthy, the music and editing on this sequence breeds more anticipation than some action movies. Historical video and audio clips are laid out on a clear timeline, and while no brief mention of an event can do it justice, it's a quick and excellent short primer for the movie. There's nothing quite as distracting as trying to follow along with everything in a film, especially a documentary, when you don't know the background.
It's definitely done it's job. I was interested before the clip, and after seeing the opening, it's on my short list. Playing similarly to a trailer, it's educational and interesting, and it's got so much information packed into a few minutes that it won't hurt to see it again when you go to check out the film. And, if you're wondering if the rest of the film matches up, you can check out James Rocchi's review tomorrow.
We've seen plenty of sports figures go on to make movies (like The Rockin this week's new release The Game Plan), but how often do they become screenwriters rather than actors? That is what happened to former Ohio State center Leonard Hartman. And the guy is really getting a number of breaks, in all sorts of genres. So far his only credit listed on the IMDb is a short called Gray Matter, but he's got a ton of projects in the pipeline. As we told you earlier in the year, he's adapting a Depression-era circus-set drama titled Water for Elephants and he wrote the spec script which became the upcoming Goosebumpsmovie. He also previously wrote a spec about the Homestead Act, which was to be made by the late Alan J. Pakula, and pitched another period piece idea that will be produced by screenwriter Gary Ross (Seabiscuit). Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Hartman has another spec script called Fury, which was just bought by Universal (also home to Goosebumps and the Ross pic).
Like most projects announced in the trades, there's not much revealed in THR about the plot of Fury. But it is probably good to assume that it isn't a comic adaptation about Nick Fury, nor remake of Fritz Lang's classic (sorry if the photo is misleading, there wasn't anything better to use here). All that is known is that it's an action thriller about a group of special forces, and it has a bit of the ol' supernatural in it. Hopefully it will be about some kind of special forces team with supernatural powers -- you know, like basically a team of superheroes. The movie will be produced by Scott Stuber and Mary Parent, who are best known for You, Me and Dupree and The Kingdom, two very different films, and neither of which is like a comic-book-type actioner. I'm sure we'll find out more about Fury in the coming months or year, so stay tuned.
Things were kind of dead at the box office this past weekend. Not that people weren't going to the movies, it's just that a lot of them paid to see a flick that had dead folks walking around. Here's the final tally: 1. Resident Evil: Extinction: $24 million. 2. Good Luck Chuck: $14 million. 3. The Brave One: $7.4 million. 4. 3:10 to Yuma: $6.35 million. 5.Eastern Promises: $5.7 million.
This coming weekend oddly enough brings us three films whose stars all saw their early successes on TV, including Easy Reader from The Electric Company, a professional wrestler, and a cast member from In Living Color.
The Feast of Love What's It All About: In what is described as a modern take on A Midsummer Night's Dream, Morgan Freeman plays a man who witnesses the effects love has on several small town residents. Why It Might Do Well: The trailer has a great deal of appeal, hitting funny and romantic notes with equal skill. Why It Might Not Do Well: A relatively small release will keep this one out of the top five, but it should do reasonably well and ultimately find its audience on DVD. Number of Theaters: 1,200 Prediction: $4.5 million
The Game Plan What's It All About: An NFL star played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson suddenly finds himself caring for a seven-year-old daughter he never knew he had. Why It Might Do Well: There aren't a lot of family friendly comedies in theaters just now, so this one may find its niche. Why It Might Not Do Well: The plot is nothing new, and based on the trailer Johnson doesn't look entirely comfortable in the role. Number of Theaters: 2,800 Prediction: $14 million
The Kingdom What's It All About: FBI agents investigate an attack on U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia. Why It Might Do Well: Jamie Foxx leads a strong cast that also includes Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. I'm betting this will be the big money maker this week. Why It Might Not Do Well: Given the current situation in the Middle East, this may hit too close to home for some. Number of Theaters: 2,700 Prediction: $22 million I've got a feeling that next week's results will look something like this: 1. The Kingdom 2. The Game Plan 3. Resident Evil: Extinction 4. Good Luck Chuck 5. The Brave One
No perfect scores last week, but Porcalina and Josh took top honors. Nice going guys. Here's how everyone did: 1. Porcalina: 13 1. Josh: 13 2. Bubba8193: 12 3. Matt: 11 3. Mario: 11 3. Dave: 11 4. Anna07: 10 4. Ray: 10 4. Chris: 10 4. Max: 10 5. ABIRD006: 9 5. Gregory Rubinstein: 9 6. MikeJM79: 8 6. Marshall: 8 7. Gina: 7 8. Peter: 6
Here's how the competition works: Please post your prediction in the comments section below before 5:00PM on Saturday. One point for every top five movie correctly named, two points for every correct placement, and one extra point for the top movie.
There might not be any Meat Loaf, but there will be a helping of Jason Bateman in director Kevin Macdonald's State of Play, the upcoming drama that's reuniting Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Variety reports that the actor is going to play one of the key reporters in the drama about the murder of an up-and-coming congressman's (Norton) girlfriend, and a newspaper's investigation of the story. (Pitt plays the politician's manager who starts the paper's investigation.) The film is an adaptation of an award-winning miniseries, and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom) has whittled the 6 hours down into something we can see on the big screen.
This will be the second script from Carnahan that Bateman tackles, since he's also in The Kingdom, and it's looking like it will be another reprieve from some of his more questionable picks. The ex-Bluth might have some seemingly decent drama on the way, but his last films were the largely-panned Smokin' Aces and The Ex, which flopped better than a tossed-off fish. Unfortunately, it looks like this sine wave will continue -- after the highly-praised Juno(which our Scott Weinberg adored), he's got Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Sure, that flick hasn't come out yet, but considering the fact that I really like everyone involved, yet can't muster up any anticipation after the trailer (although Erik likes it), I'm not expecting too much from it. But regardless, is this what we have to look forward to from Bateman? At least, I guess, there are some high points intermingled with the low ones.
While it's too early to tell if Matthew Carnahan's first script, The Kingdom, will be a hit, you can't help but admire a guy that seemed to come out of nowhere (although he is the brother of director Joe Carnahan). Carnahan has already sold three other scripts that have snagged some of the biggest names in the movie business; George Clooney, Tom Cruise, and Brad Pitt to name a few. Now, in an interview with Ropes of Silicon, the writer is already talking about his next project. Carnahan will be writing a crime thriller based on the infamous Zebra Murders that took place in San Francisco in the early 70's. There have already been a couple of books written on the subject, but I would guess that most people are not that familiar with the crimes that took place between 1973 and 1974.
Over the course of one year, a group of serial killers with connections to the nationalist group, The Nation of Islam, were responsible for the muders of 16 people; they called themselves 'The Death Angels.' It has been reported that the group "believed that they could earn "points" towards Paradise when they died if they killed as many whites as possible". Finally, in 1975, and after one of the longest trials in California history, Larry Green, J.C.X. Simon, Manuel Moore and Jessie Lee Cooks were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Carnahan is working with DreamWorks on Zebra, and told Ropes, "It's just such a little gem of a story. If I can put two sentences together I think hopefully people will want to be involved". Carnahan is planning on focusing the story on the racial tensions in the city at the time. But, it will ultimately revolve around the two African-American policemen who were instrumental in the capture of the Angels. There is no official word on the project yet, but judging by Carnahan's relatively short yet successful track record, I doubt it will take long until we hear something more definite.
I was first introduced to Lars von Trier through the horror and thrills of The Kingdom (Riget). I had never even heard of Lars before, but for some reason, I let myself be talked into buying the DVD -- at full, foreign import price -- and it was worth it. I was quickly engulfed in the strange world and hungered for more chills, von Trier style. Unfortunately, I've had to wait a good decade. Now, through the haze of depression, and reports that trickled out all the way back in September of 2006, Variety tells us that the English-language Antichrist is still on, Lars is still shooting it, and it will launch production in Germany this summer. Yes, that means von Trier is traveling to Germany -- a big step for the filmmaker.
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SCOOP: Spider-Man 4 and 5 Might be Shot at the Same Time!
Cinematical Seven: Disney's Awesome Live-Action Kid Adventures
