TinaFey Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Tina Fey and Steve Carell's 'Date Night' Has a Trailer
Filed under: Comedy », New Releases », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
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Sometimes there's a down side to being considered a comedic genius. Right now in the world of TV comedy, Tina Fey and Steve Carell are the 'Prom Queen and King', and with all that popularity comes the price of raised expectations. The couples comedy Date Night, starring Fey and Carell as a married couple looking to spice up their romance, was bound to be scrutinized. So now that the first trailer has arrived (via Apple), reactions have been mixed. But I think there's hope for this film, if for no other reason than the fact that Fey and Carell are some of the most talented comedians working right now (although I'm still holding out for Fey to start writing some more movies of her own).Date Night was directed by Shawn Levy (of Night at The Museum fame) and written by Josh Klausner, who only has a couple of credits as a writer (mainly for Shrek films). But Klausner has also worked with the Farrelly brothers, so he must know his way around a joke, right? I guess that's why I'm willing to give Date Night the benefit of the doubt, because on paper, all the elements are there for a good comedy -- the least of which is a strong supporting cast of funny folks like James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jason Segel, and Kristen Wiig. Maybe I'm grasping at straws, but the film has also yet to be rated, so there's always a chance the funnier bits weren't 'ready for prime time'.
So watch the trailer and tell me what you think. Am I just kidding myself, or is there a chance that Date Night will surprise us all and turn out to be a pretty funny flick?
Watch the trailer after the jump...
Watch This: James Franco's Gucci Outtakes
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
As much as I love James Franco (for reasons both personal and professional) I sometimes worry he's going to wear out his welcome with these shorts that keep popping up wherever you look. So far, we've had acting lessons, re-enactments of The Hills, commencement speeches, and even abstract art ... and now we've got Gucci. Over at Funny or Die, they have the latest comedy short which is presented as outtakes from the actor's turn as a spokesmodel for Gucci, and even though you know what to expect from the moment you hit play, that doesn't mean that it won't make you laugh (in my case there was even a little snorting involved).
But maybe the genius of Franco is that you can never quite guess what he's going to do next (I mean, I don't think anyone saw the General Hospital stint coming). He's still a movie star after all, though, and his upcoming roles in the Steve Carell and Tina Fey comedy Date Night, along with his portrayal of Beat poet Allan Ginsberg in Howl, guarantees that his comedic and dramatic skills won't be going to waste any time soon. But as this short proves, maybe his most memorable attribute will always be that he's never afraid to make a complete ass of himself -- a lovable quality if there ever was one.
After the jump: what Gucci didn't want you to see and another Franco classic....
Why TV is (Sometimes) Better Than The Movies
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Awards », Fandom », Home Entertainment »
OK, take a deep breath -- I know what I'm about to say is heresy on a movie site, but have you noticed that TV has gotten pretty damn good lately? So good that sometimes it's better than going to the movies ...almost. The Emmys may be long over, and those golden totems to ad revenue are already being displayed in the trophy cases of the winners. But if you were watching the show, you might have noticed a running theme throughout the telecast: the death of broadcast television. Well I'm going to have to respectfully disagree, because while I totally get that the TV landscape is changing, and the networks may not know how to milk this whole newfangled Internet thing for every dollar its worth, audiences are still tuning in (whether its on cable or broadcast TV) for some of the most innovative entertainment in history.
Not since the days of Seinfeld has talk about TV dominated water cooler chat and flooded the Internet forums and chat rooms. When you arrive to work in the morning, are you talking about last weekend's blockbuster, or are you and your co-workers talking about last night's LOST, Mad Men, or True Blood? Now don't get me wrong: I always have, and always will love going to the movies. There will always be something about sitting in the dark alongside strangers with state of the art sound and images that makes it my favorite pastime. But, I still have to hand it to the small screen for managing to finally make TV cool again. So in honor of our friends at TV Squad, I'm going to throw a little love at the small screen - here are just a couple of reasons why I think TV is (sometimes) better than the movies.
After the jump: in defense of the boob tube...
Exclusive: 'The Invention of Lying' Poster Premiere
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Posters »
Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for The Invention of Lying, starring the always hilarious Ricky Gervais as a guy who lives in a world where the act of lying doesn't exist, and so one day he accidentally invents the bad habit before beginning to use it to his advantage ... big time. Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K. and Rob Lowe co-star (with appearances from Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill and several others) in this high-concept comedy that Gervais also wrote and directed along with Matthew Robinson.
This is the first feature film that Gervais has written and directed, and so while we've enjoyed watching him in other movies like Ghost Town or Night at the Museum, it'll be great for us Gervais fans to see another one of his creations up on the big screen this time -- not to mention the fact that it comes equipped with a pretty dynamite cast. You can check out the trailer for The Invention of Lying after the jump, and click on the image below to view a larger version of the poster.
The Invention of Lying hits theaters on October 2.
Gallery: The Invention of Lying
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Will Ferrell is an 'Oobermind'
Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Casting », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Hollywood has cooked up a new twist. This may not be in league with Javier Bardem being replaced by actress Carmen Maura in a gig, but it's still surprising. Variety reports that DreamWorks has lined up its voice talent for 2010's Oobermind -- Robert Downey Jr.'s lead baddie has been replaced by Will Ferrell, and he'll be joined by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill (not to mention Tina Fey, who signed on earlier).
The satire focuses on a big-noggined supervillain called Oobermind. He has defeated his hero rival Metro Man (Pitt), and finds post-hero-fighting life to be boring. So he creates a new superhero called Titan (Hill), to fight. Only this dude wants to be a bad guy as well, which forces Oobermind to switch sides himself. (Can you spot all the Venture Brothers similarities?) Fey, meanwhile, voices a reporter trying to keep up with the many superhero/villain changes.
Switching from Downey Jr. to Ferrell is sure to have a big impact on the film. You've got RDJ, who can be delightfully evil and would surely offer a textured and intriguing villain, and then Ferrell, who may have proved his range with gigs like Stranger Than Fiction, but still tends to offer that same blissed-out cluelessness that made him famous. DreamWorks is planning to release Oobermind in the fall of 2010, as part of a cinematic push to make up for Monsters vs. Aliens performance, but I wonder: Can Ferrell deliver the goods, and make up for Downey Jr.'s departure?
Is Ricky Gervais Too Good for Hollywood?
Filed under: Comedy », Deals », Sony », Fandom »
I have this feeling the brilliant Ricky Gervais probably won't make it big in Hollywood. Now before you get all riled up, hear me out: Whenever Gervais gets the chance to 'ingratiate' himself into the Hollywood big-time, let's face it, the results are less than cuddly. In fact, more often than not the guy winds up on a demo reel of controversial moments. Gervais is someone who can't sit down with Elmo without it turning into a moment of subversive comedy, and that is what I love about him. But the biggest thing that stands between Gervais and a big movie career (other than an absence of a six-pack and capped teeth) is that the man just couldn't care less about playing nice -- and it's that quality that has earned my eternal respect (after all, it takes a lot of guts to put this scene in a Christmas special).Gervais has been making some inroads stateside with the romantic comedy Ghost Town -- a relatively successful film that tried to capitalize on Gervais' fondness of creating sympathetic yet unpleasant characters. Granted, it wasn't a big hit, but it was well liked enough and managed to win some fans who weren't strictly Office devotees. But I think the big test for whether or not Gervais becomes movie star is his directorial debut, This Side of the Truth, with Jonah Hill, Jennifer Garner, and Rob Lowe. But even if Truth doesn't work out, Gervais and long-time creative partner Stephen Merchant will be going back to slightly more familiar territory when they team up with Sony for a coming of age flick, The Men at the Pru, about a group of men working at an insurance company in the 1970s.
Stuff We Missed: Fallen Superheroes, Hit Men and Amber Heard
Filed under: Casting », Deals », Fandom », Distribution », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
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As much as we try to cover everything here at Cinematical, unfortunately some stories slip through the cracks. Here's a bunch of stuff we missed this week:
-- The first images of The Fallen, from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen have arrived online ... except it's the toy version of the Transformer, which means it's a toy and not very interesting. But that's an image of the toy up above, and you can see two more below (courtesy of TF08).
-- Robert Downey Jr., Tina Fey and Ben Stiller are in negotiations to lend their voices to a new animated superhero flick called Master Mind. This one, however, focuses on a brilliant superhero villain who loses purpose in life when he accidentally kills his good-guy nemesis. DreamWorks is currently eying a November 5, 2010 release for the film. [Hollywood Reporter]
-- Mickey Rourke has signed on to play a hit man who returns to New York (in disguise as a priest) to complete a botched hit in St. Vincent. Walter Hill, who directed the 1989 Rourke flick Johnny Handsome, is stepping behind the camera, and production is supposed to begin sometime later this year. [Hollywood Reporter]
-- Amber Heard is slowly becoming the next up-and-coming starlet, beating out ladies like Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley for the leading lady role opposite Johnny Depp in Rum Diary, based on the Hunter S. Thompson novel. Heard will play "the free-spirited girlfriend of a fellow journalist who cheats on him with Kemp (Depp), trying to convince him to run away with her." [Hollywood Reporter]
-- According to Upcoming Pixar, the short accompanying Up on the big screen will be called Partly Cloudy, and it will be directed by Peter Sohn (a storyboard artist and animator who also lent his voice to Remy's brother Emile in Ratatouille.) Partly Cloudy, which doesn't have an official plot description yet, will mark Sohn's directorial debut. [Slashfilm]
Sarah Palin Makes a Porno?
Filed under: RumorMonger », Fandom »
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From the Who Woulda Thunk It File: According to a story over on Current, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been offered her first starring role in a film since her and McCain wound up on the opposite end of "the winning ticket" last week. No, we're not talking about a Tina Fey biopic or that so-called Disney flick Matt Damon warned us about awhile back. This one has, well, a tad more ... flesh. A Florida-based porn director by the name of Cezar Capone is willing to pay Palin a whopping $2 million to appear in an adult film. Oh yes. As Current points out, "Capone promises in an open letter on his website that the film would be distributed internationally, shot in high definition and feature a "beautiful mother recognized by all of America as well as the rest of the world -- the most desirable woman over 40."
Good news is Capone is more than willing to let Palin star in this film opposite her husband Todd, and will even "kick in an extra $100,000," as well as a new Arctic Cat snowmobile. I love the way this guy bargains: If the $2 million isn't enough, surely the snowmobile and the fact that the entire world will be able to purchase it should do the trick. The offer was sent to her administration in Alaska on November 6, but so far the good Governor has not responded ... and we don't expect her to.
.... Ahem, $10 million and we'll talk.
Cinematical Seven: The Funniest Ladies of 2008
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Cinematical Seven », Lists »
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While I'm sure we'll all agree that these past few years have given us some wonderful little comedic gems, it's often unfortunate to see most of the attention thrown at one particular sex, or, in some cases, one particular man: Judd Apatow. But this post won't be about Judd Apatow, or Seth Rogen ,or Jonah Hill, or Michael Cera, or Will Ferrell, or Adam McKay, or Vince Vaughn, or Owen Wilson, or Kevin Smith ... or any of the male names that currently populate (and dominate) some of your favorite comedies. Nope, because it's about damn time we give the ladies some respect.
I'm sick of the female roles in comedies today. She's either the bland girlfriend, or the bland friend, or the bland enemy -- she's full of cliches, and only serves two purposes: 1) to help move the story along, and 2) to make her male counterpart appear funnier. That said, Hollywood is beginning to take more chances on the female-driven comedy, with films like Baby Mama, The House Bunny, Sex and the City, Bride Wars and Confessions of a Shopaholic all arriving in theaters this year or in early 2009. But is this enough? Is there better, smarter and funnier material for women out there, somewhere ... over the rainbow? While you ponder that, here, in my opinion, are the funniest ladies of 2008 (in no particular order) ...
1. Tina Fey
Right now you know her as "that woman who does the awesome Sarah Palin impersonation," but people forget Fey has been making us laugh for a good while now. One of
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 9/9
Filed under: New on DVD », Home Entertainment »
Welcome to Cinematical's revamped but still opinionated guide to movies on disc, whether new-fangled Blu-ray or good old fashioned DVD, Hollywood blockbusters or indie wonders, direct to video debuts or refurbished classics.
Buy: The Fall
Rent: Baby Mama, The Forbidden Kingdom, How the West Was Won
Pass: Foreign Exchange, Seed, Sarah Landon & The Paranormal Hour, Then She Found Me
Blu-ray Spotlight: Exiled, Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2, Jerry Maguire, Cool Hand Luke, Rudy
Indies on DVD: Heckler, The Last Days of Left Eye, Last House on the Beach
Collector's Corner: The Big Lebowski, Child's Play, Pumpkinhead
The Fall.
Directed by Tarsem (The Cell), this incredible visual feast, filmed over four years, imagines the fantastical, far-flung stories told to a little girl recovering from a fall in a hospital. A wild, weird trip of a flick that cries out to be replayed time and again. Extras include deleted scenes, featurettes, and audio commentaries. Of the Blu-ray edition, DVD Talk said: "Easily ranks as reference quality." Buy.
Baby Mama
The "must rent" of the week, just to luxuriate in the comedic stylings of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin SNL vet Tina Fey as she learns about compromise with baby surrogage Amy Poehler. Extras include an audio commentary with Fey, Poehler, director Michael McCullers and SNL's Lorne Michaels. Also available on Blu-ray. Rent.
Read on for many more details on this week's highlighted releases.
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/24_thumbnail.jpg)
Exclusive 'Nine' Poster Premiere!
Exclusive: Title Track for 'The Road' Soundtrack
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