TheWeinsteinCompany Tagged Articles at Cinematical

In what could be read as a big "nyah, told you so" press release, The Weinstein Company would like you all to know that Inglourious Basterds has not only grossed over $108M* in North America but has now out-earned Pulp Fiction, which was previously Tarantino's biggest money-maker to date.

But what's strange is that TWC is giving some of the credit to "an innovative marketing plan. The film was the first to make use of Twitter and other social networking sites in such a direct fashion, even involving Twitter in the film's LA premiere," according to the press release.

Harvey Weinstein is even quoted as saying, "It was great working with Biz Stone at Twitter on Inglourious. It took the campaign to another level."

Okay, what have I missed? How was the Inglourious campaign different from any other of the studios' use of Twitter or Facebook to promote movies through links, contests, and meet-ups? I don't even recall seeing anything on Twitter about it, other than the normal studios using Twitter to cross-pollinate coverage.

The Weinstein Company's financial struggles have been pretty well publicized lately, and if you were Bob and Harvey, you'd probably look to those Shakespeare in Love Oscars, and then hunt down some sold historical stories from Great Britain. So they have gone and aquired themselves The King's Speech, a biopic about King George VI that will be directed by Tom Hooper. It will star that god of British cinema known as Colin Firth as King George VI and always wonderful Geoffrey Rush his speech therapist Lionel Logue.

Actually, the story of George VI is a pretty remarkable one. Known affectionately as Bertie thanks to being born Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George, he was the second son of George V, and not expected to assume the throne. He was plagued by ill-health, a rough Victorian upbringing, and developed a horrible stammer that made him reluctant to speak in public. He seemed destined for a life out of the spotlight, but then his golden brother Edward decided to abdicate, marry Wallis Simpson, and sympathize with Nazis. Poor Bertie was thrust onto the throne, and by his own admission, the news made him break down and sob like a child. Add in that Britain was on the verge of war with Germany, and you have to utterly sympathize with Bertie, and admire him for not just jumping out of a window.

The King's Speech will focus on George's famous speech problems (a big part of why he was sobbing at the news), and how the king sought help from Logue. He overcame his stammer, gained confidence, and became the leader England desperately needed during WWII. It's easy to sneer at as an Oscar-bait picture, but it is a good story, and has a solid cast and crew behind it. Maybe it'll prove inspirational to the Weinsteins too, and pull them out of their rut.

If I know Cinematical readers, I know you'd like an early taste of Inglourious Basterds, even if you had to read it and are you in luck today! Quentin Tarantino handed Playboy Magazine a Nazi killing scene, and the picture-friendly magazine handed it to R.M. Guera. The result is six pages, and only six, of a Basterds graphic novel. Unfortunately, the flash player Playboy housed it in is really clunky, and would be impossible to navigate beyond six pages.

To those of you who read the script, this won't be anything new. If you're like me and know nothing of the film beyond trailers, tv spots, and the joyful whoops of your friends on Twitter, then this will be fresh and unusual. It will also be a little nightmarish because dang, could Guera have made Eli Roth and Brad Pitt any more scary looking?

If you want to see the film unspoiled, avoid it, but if you want to see just where that scene of Roth, his baseball hat, and a Nazi's skull originates and leads to, read on. It's fun stuff, and makes me wish Tarantino would borrow a page from Joss Whedon, and do a few comic books that run with all his intertwined characters and Red Apple cigarettes. While I certainly don't want an origin story for Stuntman Mike or Bill, we might finally get all those side stories or leaps into the future he constantly teases us about.

[via The Beat]

The trailer for The Road (which now has a release date of October 16) has hit the net courtesy of Yahoo! Movies but we've got an embed here thanks to Trailer Addict. For those who read the Cormac McCarthy book (and I haven't, but I was told the entire thing by a "helpful" friend), you're going to notice what looks like a lot of changes to the story. The mysterious disaster is made explicit, Charlize Theron is given a lot more screen time than the wife ever had in the book, and the action is upped ten times over.

However, this trailer has caused a lot of controversy already with people who have seen the film. Esquire just published a review this week, and noted that the Weinstein Company was falling prey to the temptation to cut a trailer that looked like a post-apocalyptic action movie. According to Esquire, John Hillcoat's film is (and other reviews have borne this out) as quiet, harrowing, and bleak as the novel is, and may just be "the most important film of the year". Unfortunately, the Weinsteins feel no one will see it unless there's an "explanation" and a hook of kick ass action, even if the film itself lacks the things the trailer sells.

But at least you get a glimpse of the real film underneath, which is enough to cause you to choke up. I think we're promised one hell of a gut-wrenching performance from Viggo Mortensen. Just look at his eyes.

Sin City is the series that just can't catch a break. Last week, IESB.net was reporting that the Weinstein Company / Dimension had lost the rights to Sin City, and that the franchise was being quietly shopped around. The rumors were hotly denied by the Weinsteins ... but now The Hollywood Reporter is saying the same darn thing.

While the Weinsteins continue to maintain that they hold the rights, producers all around town are saying that Frank Miller's "estate" has been shopping around those same rights. It's unclear if they have lapsed due to the failure to renew or move on the property, but it seems strange that they could have expired so soon.

This is a rumor that I think we all hope comes true. I'd like to see Sin City land at a studio willing to actually put A Dame to Kill For into production instead of just talking about it. It's been four (count 'em, four) years since Sin City, with "production starting in a matter of weeks!" reports being issued every three months or so. The talent remains enthusiastic and attached. Fans are clamoring for the rest of the sleazy series. It's a no brainer for any other studio, but the Weinstein Company seems to believe delaying films until the end of the world is a sound business principle.

What would you like to see ultimately happen with the next Sin City movie, and who do you think would take the best care of it?

If nothing else I guess you can never say that Kevin Smith doesn't learn from his past. Just a couple of days after Erik brought us the news that Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan were rumored to be starring in Smith's action comedy, A Couple of Dicks, Variety has confirmed that Willis and Morgan are on board, but there's been a slight change. The film has now been given the much more 'billboard friendly' title of A Couple of Cops (doesn't exactly have the same ring to it, now does it?). I mean, we're all adults here, has it really gotten to the point where even a pun as vanilla as a variation on 'Private Dicks' is too much for audiences?

I would've thought after all of the MPAA's prudishness over Zack and Miri Make a Porno that Smith would surely be headed for another battle royale. Remember, last summer, there were fights over Zack and Miri posters, the title, and even the film itself. Heck, there was even trouble when it came out on DVD thanks to the family-minded folks at Wal-Mart. But I guess Smith (and Warner Bros., for that matter) isn't interested in another fight with theater owners or enraged special interest groups, and this time he's just going to go with the flow (or maybe this time he's just a little tired of tilting at windmills). But, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise if you consider the fact that he's making a lot of changes in his career lately. Not only is he directing someone else's script, but he's working with a major studio and his longstanding relationship with The Weinstein Co. seems to be a little on the rocks.

Just as the Inglourious Basterds teaser talk died down, and "I want my scalps!" faded from Facebook and Twitter updates comes "Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France ..."

Yep, Basterds has a new tagline, and we've got something else to whet your appetite for Nazi carnage, as three brand new bloody posters have debuted online. Their origin is a little murky -- Empire is claiming them as an exclusive, as is IGN and Ain't It Cool News, but they're here now, and can be found in our Basterds gallery:





Striking, aren't they? Everyone will have a favorite! (Mine's the rifle.) Whatever you think of the teaser, you can't deny that they're a little bit brilliant. Quentin Tarantino's posters are always things of beauty, and especially welcome in a world of increasingly bland and Photoshopped floating heads. Will these become staples of dorm rooms and film fanatic dens like the Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill posters have? In fact, if you're one of those who still has Pulp Fiction framed on your wall, I suggest you replace it with one (or all) of these. Not only will guests assume that by idolizing Tarantino you know buckets about grindhouse cinema and spaghetti westerns, they'll also realize you're in favor of Nazi smackdowns and scalpings. You'll be the coolest person they know.

UPDATE 3: The full trailer is now online over at Yahoo!

UPDATE 2: A much better HD version of the ET trailer is over here.

UPDATE: Entertainment Tonight premiered the first trailer earlier this evening, and so until it arrives online, here's one of those cruddy bootleg versions to keep you entertained.

What does it mean when we crave footage so much that we post a preview of a trailer? Granted, this is a Quentin Tarantino movie, and it is one that we've been teased with for ten years. I think we can be forgiven for salivating over snippets of footage ... especially when even the tease is fun to watch.

While the official Inglourious Basterds trailer hits Entertainment Tonight later , The Movie Box managed to get a snippet and put it on YouTube in the wee hours of the morning. If you want a big, high-definition version, that's where you should click. But just in case you don't want to leave the cozy confines of Cinematical, we've embedded above. Tell them thanks as you enjoy Brad Pitt's crazy ass accent -- and remember, it's only a few more hours until you get to see the whole damn thing.

Interviews with Viggo Mortensen are a rather rare and wonderful thing -- or at least ones that don't get all coy and snarky over his remarkable intelligence and publishing company. So, when I saw Capone's interview with Mortensen over at Ain't It Cool News, I had to share it with you all.

His thoughts on the upcoming Good are too long and interesting to crop and paste here -- but what I will post is his disappointment over The Road being delayed. Despite starring in the film, he is unsure what's going on with it. "My understanding is that they know that they've got a story that a lot of people want to see, because of the book. And, the people that read the book, which are many, were very moved by it and by this relationship between this boy and this man, in particular, in that setting. And, I think that they are really aware of the fact that they've got one chance to do it, and if there's any little things that they still want to work on a little more, to get it just right, whether it's the music --I don't know what it is -- a variety of things, they want to do it right. And, if you rush it out before you feel in good conscience it's there ... So, I am disappointed. I wanted to see it. I want to see how it is."

He's also concerned that the film might be released at the wrong time of year, and is hoping for a fall release. "What I hope they don't do is then just put it out in February or something. I hope they wait and do it at the right time. I don't know." (Yes, Weinstein Co. Release The Road in the fall, please. No February or March dump!)