harold Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Cinematical has just received this exclusive clip from Harold (watch it after the jump), which arrives on DVD tomorrow. Starring Spencer Breslin and Cuba Gooding Jr., Harold follows a balding geeky teenager who, of course, is tortured by his fellow classmates for looking the way he does (watch the clip and you'll see what I mean). However, Harold eventually befriends the school's janitor (Gooding) who helps him deal with the teasing. In the clip, Harold storms out of his house to deal with a group of menacing neighborhood kids after their ball lands in his yard. This kid gives "13 going on 60" a whole new meaning. Harold also stars Nikki Blonsky, Ally Sheedy, Dave Attell and Rachel Dratch, and it hits shelves on DVD tomorrow.

Watch the clip after the jump ...

French thriller Tell No One and American dope comedy The Wackness traded places at the top of the specialty chart in their second week of release, outearning all new indie releases at the US box office this weekend. According to estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo, Tell No One made $13,388 per screen as it expanded from eight to 18 theaters, while The Wackness took in $7,258 per screen in its slightly wider expansion from six to 31 theaters.

Tell No One expanded into Chicago, Northern California (Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Francisco, San Jose), Philadelphia, and Seattle. Music Box Films brings it next to Baltimore/Washington DC area, Denver, Detroit, San Diego, St. Louis, and a flock of theaters in greater New York this Friday. It has further expansions laid out for the following three weeks.

The Wackness moved beyond New York and Los Angeles into San Francisco, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, San Diego, Chicago, and Seattle. Sony Pictures Classics will expand the run into four more markets this coming Friday, and then open much wider into 34 more markets on July 25.

Debuting releases August ($6,500 at one theater), Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired ($5,500 at one theater), and Harold ($3,433 per screen at three theaters) rounded out the Top 5. How did everybody else do?

Well, it looks like we can forget about Harold being a cliche, like I feared. Above you can check out the amusing trailer for the film about a kid who has male-pattern baldness at the ripe young age of 14. It looks like it could be a fun ride. I was thinking that the kid just had a bald spot, but no, he's got one big shiny dome on the top of his head. My question: At that point, why not shave it all off?

Spencer Breslin plays the follicly challenged kid, and he really reminds me of Michael Cera, just a little rounder. Even better, it looks like Cuba Gooding Jr. is giving a performance with much less of the family-film mindset that he's become known for. (It's about time!) But those two aren't the only names in this pic -- Ally Sheedy, Nikki Blonsky, Fred Willard, Rachel Dratch, Nicky Katt, Chris Parnell, Colin Quinn... The film is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11. Will you make the trek to see it?

I'm trying to decide whether this Harold pic is getting pretty interesting, or teetering over the edge into cliche. Earlier this month, Erik Davis brought word that Abigail Breslin's big brother, Spencer Breslin, was going to star in the upcoming film as Harold -- a prematurely-balding kid who has trouble adapting to his new school. So far, so normal. There was also Cuba Gooding Jr., who is also one of the movie's producers, signed on as a janitor who helps the kid. Now we've got three more starring names -- two of which bring back lots of 80's memories -- Ally Sheedy, Colin Quinn and Nikki Blonsky.

Sheedy, who is probably best known for her too-cool klepto girl Allison in The Breakfast Club, is going to play Harold's mom, who tries to help her son cope with all the baldy teasing. So far - so normal. Now here is where I raise a brow: Quinn, who was the announcer years ago on MTV's Remote Control, will play "Reedy, a drunken barfly who's a regular at a strip club Harold frequents." So, the teased kid spends a majority of his time at a strip club -- I guess he gets in easily because of the baldness? Hopefully this won't fall in a cliche where the older, sexy women accompany him to the prom or something, showing his classmates that he's so cool, and assuring Harold that he'll find a special girl soon -- and then, well, then he finally notices his best friend, who loved him all along.

Nikki Blonsky, whose first role was in the recent Hairspray remake as Tracy Turnblad, will play Harold's nerdy best friend. Coincidentally, Harold has just began shooting in Blonsky's hometown of Great Neck, N.Y., at her old middle school to boot. She says of her role: "I'm playing an outcast again, but not necessarily because of the whole 'plus-size' thing. It's because my character marches to the beat of her own drummer." There's definitely a beat to this film, but hopefully one that won't fall prey to all the cliches spinning around in my head.

No matter which direction you look lately, at least one Breslin family member is landing a big role. The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Spencer Breslin (big brother to the adorable Abigail Breslin) has signed on to star in two upcoming films. First up is the high school comedy Harold, opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. Breslin will star as Harold, a prematurely balding student who's finding it tough adapting to life at his new school. Based on my own experiences as a prematurely balding student, I can totally relate. Gooding Jr. will play a janitor at the school who befriends our balding teen and helps him adjust. Look for plenty of cruel jocks and bald jokes to be featured prominently throughout.

Additionally, Breslin has also signed to star opposite Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and, now, John Leguizamo in M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening. In that film he'll most likely play Wahlberg's son, and part of a family who find themselves on the run after a natural disaster threatens to destroy the planet. I hate to say it, but if something is going to destroy the entire planet, there ain't many places to run to. Breslin describes his role in that film as being "a typical teenage boy, a bit of a smartass." Apart from that, however, he hasn't been "clued in" to other aspects of the film. Thus, we're not positive whether he'll be playing a Wahlberg offspring or just some wiseass kid they meet along the way. Harold begins its filming this month in New York, while The Happening kick-starts its production next month. Both films are due out next year, with the latter already scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 13, 2008.

No, they're not remaking that classic Rodney Dangerfield flick (although I wouldn't be surprised if a remake shows up once Vince Vaughn ages a bit more); the Hollywood Reporter tells us that Cuba Gooding Jr. has signed on to star in a new edgy teen comedy called Harold, which some are saying is in the vein of Napoleon Dynamite. Pic will be produced and financed by City Lights Pictures (The Ten, Brooklyn Rules) and M.E.G.A. films. The deal was announced during the Cannes fest, and the powers that be are hoping to begin filming in August with intentions to finish the flick in time for the Sundance Film Festival. Five months ain't a lot to work with, so I imagine a cast and a director will be announced fairly soon.

The film follows this dude named Harold; a "premature balding young teen" who's finding it hard adjusting to life in high school. (Um, excuse me, but if this is going to be based on my life then I think I'd like a little compensation.) Cuba Gooding is said to be playing the school's janitor who befriends Harold and helps guide him through this rigorous time in his life. I'm not sure what's worse: losing your hair at 16 or knowing that your best friend in the world is the janitor at school? Sheesh, talk about a prequel to The 40 Year Old Virgin. Although he won an Oscar for asking us to "Show him the money!," Cuba Gooding was, instead, shown a number of crappy roles. Rat Race? Snow Dogs? Boat Trip? Someone stop me before I become dizzy. With Daddy Day Camp (directed by the very awesome Fred Savage of Wonder Years fame) on the way, it doesn't appear his slate is improving anytime soon. That is, unless Harold becomes the next Napoleon Dynamite. Hmm, perhaps Jon Heder and Cuba Gooding should team up on Show Me How to Build A Successful Career Off One Good Role?