Cinematical

Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Terrific Trailers: Miami Vicehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/terrific-trailers-miami-vice/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/terrific-trailers-miami-vice/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/terrific-trailers-miami-vice/#commentsFiled under: Action, Drama, Universal, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips, Scenes We Love

Michael Mann's latest crime opus has already hit theaters, and like most of his devoted fans, I was there opening day. Granted, my desire to be first in line for Public Enemies mainly had to do with my preoccupation with pretty boys in nice suits, but trust me, there were some loftier ideals at work. One of the reasons I love Mann's films is that he finds new ways to tell relatively traditional stories...which brings me to Miami Vice. Vice definitely wasn't one of Mann's most popular films, but I always defend this flick, and here's why: growing up, I watched Miami Vice, and I might have loved it, but even at the tender age of 10 I knew it was kind of silly. I had always wondered what the series would have looked like if the show had a little less cheap humor about Crockett and his alligator and a little more 'dignity' -- fast forward to 2006, and that's exactly what Mann did.

Gone were the over the top white suits and wise cracks (I mean, thank god I didn't have to watch Colin Farrell yucking it up with 'Elvis'), and instead, Mann replaced them with a darker, meaner, and (dare I say it?) more realistic Miami Vice. But just because Mann brought Vice into the present, didn't mean that those traditional touches were gone, and the teaser was proof. That first trailer had it all -- the music perfectly timed with every shotgun pump, speedboats, helicopters, guns and hot girls...and you can't get more Miami Vice than that.

After the jump; the teaser and a reminder of Vice on the small screen..

Continue reading Terrific Trailers: Miami Vice

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]]>colin farrellColinFarrelljamie foxxJamieFoxxmiami viceMiamiVicemichael mannMichaelMannpublic enemiesPublicEnemiesscenes we loveScenesWeLoveterrific trailersTerrificTrailerstrailerJessica BarnesFri, 03 Jul 2009 18:03:00 ESTAttention, SXSW Wannabes! The Panel Picker is Herehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/attention-sxsw-wannabes-the-panel-picker-is-here/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/attention-sxsw-wannabes-the-panel-picker-is-here/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/attention-sxsw-wannabes-the-panel-picker-is-here/#commentsFiled under: SXSW, Distribution, DIY/Filmmaking, Austin

So you wanna rake in the indie cred in Austin at next year's South by Southwest Festival? You have a skootch more than a week left to submit proposals for panels and/or rate the ones that have already been submitted for SXSW. But lucky for you, the SXSW Panel Picker is at your fingertips any time of the day or night. This cool new tool allows for everyone to have a say in what panels get okay'd for the festival.

According to the official site, "SXSW thrives on the creative intersection that takes place when great minds get together, and we feel the Panel Picker truly celebrates that. We believe that the real experts at SXSW are the people who bring the event to life - you, the thousands of people who attend every year. You know what you want to see, so this is your chance to help make that happen."

Previous panels include "The Incredible Shrinking (Expanding?) Film Critic Profession," which featured Cinematical's very own Scott Weinberg, "From Script to Screen," a Stanley Kubrick discussion, and much more. Get on your horse and head over 'cause the Panel Picker closes its doors on July 10th.

You can also stay up to date on all the latest SXSW-related film news and reviews over at the official blog. They gave Erik Davis' earlier post on the real girl behind SXSW's indie hit 500 Days of Summer a nice shout out, too. Even if you don't get your very own panel, you should do yourself a favor and hit up the festival since it's filled to the gills with enough media to burn your retinas and pop your eardrums. Plus, you can eat some BBQ with the peeps you Tweet at. Hey, just sayin'.

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]]>Austinpanelssouth by southwestSouthBySouthwestSXSWSXSW 2010Sxsw2010Jenni MillerFri, 03 Jul 2009 16:33:00 ESTFan Rant: My Apologies to Woody Allenhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/fan-rant-my-apologies-to-woody-allen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/fan-rant-my-apologies-to-woody-allen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/fan-rant-my-apologies-to-woody-allen/#commentsFiled under: Comedy, Independent, Sony Classics, Fan Rant

Dear... uh, well... Woody Allen, I suppose:

So here you are, with Whatever Works, which is something like your 44th feature at the age of 73. That's really something, but I'm sure you already know that. As if it wasn't enough that we can credit you with the likes of Annie Hall and The Purple Rose of Cairo... But I digress, although maybe that's the best strategy at the moment, because I can't exactly talk about Whatever Works just yet. It doesn't open in my neck of the woods until ~~tomorrow~~ today, and well, they refused to screen it for press.

Actually, they kinda did screen it, and, apparently, it's all kinda your fault.

Continue reading Fan Rant: My Apologies to Woody Allen

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]]>criticslarry davidLarryDavidmovie reviewsMovieReviewsorlando sentinelOrlandoSentinelpressroger mooreRogerMoorerotten tomatoesRottenTomatoessony classicsSonyClassicswhatever worksWhateverWorkswoody allenWoodyAllenWilliam GossFri, 03 Jul 2009 15:03:00 ESTGuinew Moon -- Piggy 'Twilight' Spoofhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/guinew-moon-piggy-twilight-spoof/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/guinew-moon-piggy-twilight-spoof/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/guinew-moon-piggy-twilight-spoof/#commentsFiled under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips

Did you watch the New Moon trailer and wonder if wolfy Jacob would've been any more scary if he could morph into a little guinea pig?

You may have noticed that little hairy beasts are fighting their way to the big screen later this month with G-Force. To help kick off the film, which opens on July 24, Electric Spoofaloo has been holding a contest. Viewers pitch ideas for spoof trailers featuring the little hairy beasts, they're voted on, and then the site makes the pitches come to life.

There's a faux Harry Potter that isn't all that funny, but Spoofaloo really hits the nail on the head with their take on the New Moon trailer (which you can see after the jump). It works so well that it seems like Stephanie Meyer's world was just destined for guineadom. There's the dramatic kiss, and then Bella's cataclysmic paper cut that sends her whole life into upheaval. (Whoever knew that paper could be so destructive? Good thing no one ever got one at school during the few years Jasper went to Forks High.)

From beginning to end, it's all there, right down to a ridiculously beefy guy filling in for Taylor Lautner and exploding into a guinea pig -- one that looks just as frightening as that big, fluffy wolf. How sad is it when your menacing animal can be easily replaced by a hand-held pet? I mean, I have a tendency to think lots of scary animals look cute, but that's the least menacing movie wolf I've ever seen!

Continue reading Guinew Moon -- Piggy 'Twilight' Spoof

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]]>CinematicalElectric SpoofalooElectricSpoofalooGuinew MoonGuinewMoonNew MoonNewMoonMonika BartyzelFri, 03 Jul 2009 13:32:00 ESTMichael Bay Trashes Megan Fox, Talks 'Transformers 3' and 3Dhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/michael-bay-trashes-megan-fox-talks-transformers-3-and-3d/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/michael-bay-trashes-megan-fox-talks-transformers-3-and-3d/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/michael-bay-trashes-megan-fox-talks-transformers-3-and-3d/#commentsFiled under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Seems like a small war is starting to brew between Michael Bay and Megan Fox, after the latter said some unflattering things about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, telling the Early Show recently that she still doesn't understand the movie and that it's apparently made for geniuses. Bay, of course, is not one to take criticism lightly -- especially from some girl who was nobody until he dropped her into the first Transformers movie.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal about the situation with Fox, he says, "Well, that's Megan Fox for you. She says some very ridiculous things because she's 23 years old and she still has a lot of growing to do. You roll your eyes when you see statements like that and think, "Okay Megan, you can do whatever you want. I got it." But I 100% disagree with her. Nick Cage wasn't a big actor when I cast him, nor was Ben Affleck before I put him in "Armageddon." Shia LaBeouf wasn't a big movie star before he did "Transformers"-and then he exploded. Not to mention Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, from "Bad Boys." Nobody in the world knew about Megan Fox until I found her and put her in "Transformers." I like to think that I've had some luck in building actors' careers with my films."

We shouldn't worry whether this war of words will hurt either person's involvement in a third Transformers movie because according to Bay that's not happening anytime soon. On a third Transformers film, he says, "I just want to take some time off. It's been almost three years that I've devoted myself entirely to this world of robots. At some point, enough is enough-and I literally carried this movie on my back. ... I don't know who [would] want to take on my shoes with this franchise. We might just take a year down."

Continue reading Michael Bay Trashes Megan Fox, Talks 'Transformers 3' and 3D

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]]>cinematicalfeaturedmegan foxMeganFoxmichael bayMichaelBaytransformers 2transformers 3Transformers2Transformers3transformers: revenge of the fallenTransformers:RevengeOfTheFallenErik DavisFri, 03 Jul 2009 12:02:00 ESTGo, Stark Industries Racer, Go!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/go-stark-industries-racer-go/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/go-stark-industries-racer-go/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/go-stark-industries-racer-go/#commentsFiled under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Images

Here's a bit of geeky fun for your Fourth of July weekend. (And frankly, anything Jon Favreau is Re-Tweeting is worth posting.) Road and Track Magazine caught a spy photo of Tony Stark's stylish racecar sitting all by its lonesome on the Iron Man 2 set. The magazine reports that they've recreated the Grand Prix de Monaco on a very elaborate set that copies the Monaco circuit.

I know what you're thinking "A racecar? That's ok, I guess." It's not news that they did a scene set in Monaco either. But what you might have forgotten is that this is where Mickey Rourke's Whiplash makes his first appearence, undoubtedly shocking the wealthy racing fans with his prison tats, reactor whips, and overall terrifying demeanor. Also, Road and Track reveals a hint as to how that showdown gets underway, because with Tony Stark being the sort of dashing billionaire he is, he isn't just attending the race -- he's driving that very car in it. Something tells me it gets stopped by a big Russian ex-con ... and since this is Iron Man, the car probably explodes in the ensuing battle.

I know, it isn't much, but it's something to build on. San Diego ComicCon is only a few weeks away, and this dry spell of hints and glimpses will be forgotten.

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]]>Grand Prix de MonacoGrandPrixDeMonacoIron Man 2IronMan2jon favreauJonFavreaumickey rourkeMickeyRourkerobert downey jr.RobertDowneyJr.WhiplashElisabeth RappeFri, 03 Jul 2009 10:32:00 ESTIn Memoriam: Harve Presnell (1933-2009)http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/in-memoriam-harve-presnell-1933-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/in-memoriam-harve-presnell-1933-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/03/in-memoriam-harve-presnell-1933-2009/#commentsFiled under: Obits

Actor, singer and Broadway star Harve Presnell died July 1, 2009 at the age of 75. Born September 14, 1933, Presnell started his career on stage, playing prominent roles on Broadway in shows such as The Unsinkable Molly Brown, before moving into film work in the late 1960s. Perhaps best known as the domineering father-in-law to William H. Macy's sheepish wannabe kidnapper in Fargo, Presnell enjoyed a career resurgence in the 1990s and became one of the more recognizable character actors of the last two decades.

Presnell's performance in Fargo was one of those that made even cinephiles wonder, who is this guy? Playing Wade Gunderson, the gruff and obstinate father of the film's kidnap victim, he complemented the desperate ambition of Macy's Jerry Lundegaard and the smalltown sensibleness of Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson. That same year, he appeared in several other movies, including The Whole Wide World, Larger Than Life and The Chamber, rekindling a film career that stagnated in 1976.

Continue reading In Memoriam: Harve Presnell (1933-2009)

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]]>harve presnellHarvePresnellTodd GilchristFri, 03 Jul 2009 09:02:00 ESTPublic Enemies ... On A Scale of 1-10?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/public-enemies-on-a-scale-of-1-10/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/public-enemies-on-a-scale-of-1-10/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/public-enemies-on-a-scale-of-1-10/#commentsFiled under: Action, Drama, Thrillers, New Releases, Universal, Johnny Depp, Summer Movies, Polls

It's the Fourth of July weekend, and what better way to celebrate America's independence than by watching a John Dillinger decide taxation with representation wasn't nearly as much fun as the patriots made it out to be. Public Enemies has gone wide this week, brandishing their tommy guns in the hopes of stealing some of Transformers' box office thunder. If anyone can do it, it might just be Johnny Depp, who does appeal to a crowd that Optimus Prime just can't reach.

Jeffrey Anderson was full of praise for Michael Mann's film, likening it to earlier crime classics such as Max Nosseck's Dillinger or Don Siegel's Baby Face Nelson. "... it equals them, capturing some of their raw energy and allure and clocking in as a longer, but equally fast-moving and adrenaline-pumping example Somehow Mann only manages to use the extra time for flash and spectacle, and hardly any for depth or detail, but that only helps to speed things along. Happily, he also avoids the typical origin story, and plunges right in ... One of the movie's main themes is that Dillinger lives for the moment, unwilling or unable to consider the future, and with little use for the past. That's Mann's credo as well, and it's what keeps the lengthy Public Enemies in shape. Most scenes come with an intense immediacy, with an effective use of shaky cams and stark lighting, giving chaos an open invitation to rear its ugly head at any time. The bullets are loud and plentiful and when they hit, the blood is not shy about making an exit."

But that's one smooth criminal's opinion. Give us yours!

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]]>Billy CrudupBillyCrudupChristian BaleChristianBalejohn dillingerJohnDillingerJohnny DeppJohnnyDeppMichael MannMichaelMannPublic EnemiesPublicEnemiesUniversalElisabeth RappeThu, 02 Jul 2009 22:02:00 ESTIndie Roundup: Bombs, Immigrants, 'Daily' Stopshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/indie-roundup-bombs-immigrants-daily-stops/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/indie-roundup-bombs-immigrants-daily-stops/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/indie-roundup-bombs-immigrants-daily-stops/#commentsFiled under: Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Deals, Box Office, Distribution, Cinematical Indie

Indie Roundup reviews the past week of news from the independent film community and provides a peek at what's coming soon.

Opening. Two films opened yesterday which couldn't have less in common: Agnès Varda's essay film The Beaches of Agnès and Nia Vardalos' I Hate Valentine's Day. Tomorrow comes Anne Fontaine's comedy The Girl From Monaco.

Deals. Xavier Dolan's family drama I Killed My Mother, Kenneth Branagh's The Magic Flute, and Asghar Farhadi's drama About Elly have all been acquired by Here Films, the company formerly known as Regent Releasing. All three are headed for theaters next year. [indieWIRE]

Online Viewing. The 4th of July weekend inevitably brings thoughts of America as a land of immigrants, and that's the topic of Home, which debuts on Amazon VOD this week, featuring interviews with Mike Myers, Alfred Molina, and Liam Neeson. Also somewhat topical: if Michael Jackson had an impact on race in pop music, what about African-American musicians playing rock 'n' roll exclusively? Raymond Gayle's Electric Purgatory examines the issue (at iTunes). If you're looking for love, you have something in common with two women in the comedy/drama Arranged (also at iTunes.)

Box Office. Kathryn Bigelow's lacerating bomb squad thriller The Hurt Locker earned a per-screen average ($36,338) that bested even the giant robots, albeit on only four screens. Woody Allen's Whatever Works expanded to 35 screens and grossed $10,280 per outing. The combination of star Michelle Pfeiffer and director Stephen Frears could stir up only a tepid $5,338 per-screen at 76 locations for Cheri, which is less than the average for Duncan Jones' Moon in its third week on 21 screens. [Box Office Mojo.]

After the jump: David Hudson's The Daily takes a permanent (?) vacation, portending the end of the world as we know it.

Continue reading Indie Roundup: Bombs, Immigrants, 'Daily' Stops

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]]>about ellyAboutEllydavid hudsonDavidHudsoni killed my motherIKilledMyMotherthe beaches of agnesthe dailythe girl from monacothe magic fluteTheBeachesOfAgnesTheDailyTheGirlFromMonacoTheMagicFlutePeter MartinThu, 02 Jul 2009 21:02:00 ESTWho Put THIS Trailer in Front of THIS Movie?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/who-put-this-trailer-in-front-of-this-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/who-put-this-trailer-in-front-of-this-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/who-put-this-trailer-in-front-of-this-movie/#commentsFiled under: Exhibition, Trailers and Clips

Something funny happened at our local press screening for The Hurt Locker this week, and not in the film itself, which is decidedly not funny. The trailer attached to the film was for Sorority Row (pictured), a dumb-looking I Know What You Did Last Summer knock-off in which college students are harassed by a person they thought they'd killed. It was incongruous to see a cheesy horror flick advertised in front of The Hurt Locker, a complex action drama that many critics consider one of the year's best films. It was like screening There Will Be Blood with a trailer for Land of the Lost in front of it.

The reason for it, of course, is that The Hurt Locker and Sorority Row both have the same distributor, Summit Entertainment. When you go to the movies, some of the trailers are just whatever's in rotation, but one or two are usually from the same studio as the film you're watching, sent out with prints of that film with explicit instructions that they be attached. Big distributors (Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, etc.) usually have plenty of upcoming products and can choose trailers that target the same general demographic as the movie they're paired with. But Summit is small -- all they had to choose from was Sorority Row and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. (A Sorority Row trailer in front of New Moon -- now that would make sense.)

So I understand why this particular trailer came with this movie. But it was still a funny juxtaposition. I can't imagine anyone wanting to see both Sorority Row AND The Hurt Locker. Has anyone else ever noticed this phenomenon? If you've seen The Hurt Locker in theaters, was this trailer in front of it, or was it just for the critics' benefit? What other strange combinations of trailers and features have you noticed?

After the jump, the Sorority Row trailer, so you'll know what I'm talking about.

Continue reading Who Put THIS Trailer in Front of THIS Movie?

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]]>sorority rowSororityRowsummit entertainmentSummitEntertainmentthe hurt lockerTheHurtLockerEric D. SniderThu, 02 Jul 2009 19:32:00 EST'Heathers' Sequel is All in Winona's Head!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/heathers-sequel-is-all-in-winonas-head/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/heathers-sequel-is-all-in-winonas-head/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/heathers-sequel-is-all-in-winonas-head/#commentsFiled under: RumorMonger

There are a million reasons not to have a sequel to Heathers, but maybe if they made the whole production a little closer to real life, it'd have some possibilities -- because Veronica Sawyer has gone batsh*t insane! Remember how Winona Ryder was, once again, talking about a Heathers sequel last month? And how she swore up and down that it was in the works this time? And that Christian Slater would be back in an Obi-Wan-type role?

Well, it's ALL in her head. Movieline talked with director Michael Lehmann, and he said: "Winona's been talking about this for years -- she brings it up every once in a while and Dan Waters and I will joke about it, but as far as I know there's no script and no plans to do the sequel. A couple weeks ago everyone started talking about it and I guess Winona said the movie was gonna get made, and I thought, 'I don't know, maybe they did this without me?' But I got in touch with Dan Waters and he said he didn't know anything about it. So I don't think there's any truth to it."

Winona, let it die already. I find it kinda creepy that you keep sparking this rumor mill with the same stories -- all of which have had no basis in truth, if Lehmann is to be believed. I've been reading these rumors for over a frakking decade. I adore the film as much as you do. I've seen it more times than I can count, and I can recite it from beginning to end, but sometimes things come to an end. But ... Moby Dick is dunked. The white whale drank some bad plankton and splashed through a coffee table. Now it's someone else's turn to take the helm of teenage dysfunction.

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]]>CinematicalHeathersHeathers 2Heathers2Michael LehmannMichaelLehmannWinona RyderWinonaRyderMonika BartyzelThu, 02 Jul 2009 18:10:00 ESTInsert Caption: The Hurt Lockerhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/insert-caption-the-hurt-locker/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/insert-caption-the-hurt-locker/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/insert-caption-the-hurt-locker/#commentsFiled under: Fandom, Contests, Insert Caption

Welcome back to another edition of Insert Caption -- the game that moves itself to Thursday when the next day happens to be a holiday! Last week we finished our back-to-back Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen caption contests asking you to give us your best piece of funny for a photo of Megan Fox from the box office blockbuster. Our three winners all took home a copy of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game, with each winner representing a different gaming system. Congrats to you all!

1. "I think you're overreacting Megan, second place on Maxim's Hot 100 really isn't THAT bad." -- Michael S. (PS3)

2. "The Ultimate Weapon of Mass Distraction..." -- Jeremy E. (Wii)

3. "Oh, there's Bin Laden." -- Tommy L. (XBox360)

See full image and all captions

This week we're finally exiting the world of giant robots and taking a closer look at a film that's so buzzed-about it might just enter the Oscar equation as a wild card real soon. I'm talking about Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, which some are calling one of the best films of the year and the decade (I'm serious -- folks are loving this flick!). And we have something real cool for you Bigelow fans this week; one grand prize winner will take home one Kathryn Bigelow DVD prize pack containing one Point Break DVD, one Near Dark DVD, one Strange Days DVD and one K-19 DVD. Um, sweet! You know what to do next ....

Read the official rules for this contest

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]]>Erik DavisThu, 02 Jul 2009 17:02:00 ESTThe Game to Play B.A. Baracus in 'A-Team'?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/the-game-to-play-b-a-baracus-in-a-team/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/the-game-to-play-b-a-baracus-in-a-team/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/the-game-to-play-b-a-baracus-in-a-team/#commentsFiled under: Action, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, 20th Century Fox

The Game Set the bar low enough, and it can only be exceeded. That's how I feel about the upcoming big-screen version of The A-Team, a 80s television series entirely beholden to the staid formula of the day and ripe for reinvention. I didn't hate the series so much as I found it routinely mediocre. My colleague Monika Bartyzel loved the series as a kid, yet still questioned the casting choices that were being entertained: Liam Neeson as Hannibal? Bradley Cooper as Face? Adding fuel to the fire, rapper The Game is being considered to play the role of B.A. Baracus, according to blackfilm.com, which quotes "a very highly reliable source in the entertainment industry."

For me, the only thing that made The A-Team watchable was the bantering between the characters, and the choices so far all indicate that director Joe Carnahan is aiming for a more straightforward action picture, based on a script by Wanted's Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. Which is crazy, like moving Miami Vice to Seattle or transforming the lead character in Get Smart into a fairly bland, somewhat competent secret agent. (Even though the latter still made money.)

The mistake would be in confusing brand recognition with brand loyalty. If you're promising fans of the TV show that you're going to deliver the same thing, only bigger and better, then you damn well better deliver something in the same spirit. I haven't seen The Game's work as an actor (Waist Deep, Street Kings) yet; is he any good? If this rumor is true, could he wear the mohawk of the immortal Mr. T?

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]]>a-teama-team movieA-teamMoviebradley cooperBradleyCooperjoe carnahanJoeCarnahanliam neesonLiamNeesonthe a-teamthe gameTheA-teamTheGamePeter MartinThu, 02 Jul 2009 16:02:00 ESTFirst Look: Stewart, Fanning and More Are 'The Runaways'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/first-look-stewart-fanning-and-more-are-the-runaways/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/first-look-stewart-fanning-and-more-are-the-runaways/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/first-look-stewart-fanning-and-more-are-the-runaways/#commentsFiled under: Fandom, Images

Above: Is this our first good look at The Runaways?

Though neither girl was alive during the 1970s or 1980s (both were born in the '90s), that's not stopping Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning from losing themselves in the time period and doing some serious rocking out for their upcoming flick The Runaways, which is a biopic about the women who breezed in and out of the famous band -- including Joan Jett (Stewart), Cherie Currie (Fanning), Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Sandy West (Stella Maeve), among others.

Just Jared nabbed a few photos from the set that show both Stewart and Fanning clowning around all retro'd out, sporting some pretty spectacular gear. It must've been fun to be in charge of wardrobe for this film because these ladies totally lit it up with style. I'm not entirely sure which girls are featured in the image above; I know Stewart and Fanning are in the back, and I think that's Scout Taylor-Compton in the blue and Stella Maeve up front, though I'm not positive so feel free to correct me. Check out a larger version of the image above down below along with a couple others, and more over at Just Jared.

Gallery: The Runaways

The Runaways is due in theaters next year.

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]]>cinematicaldakota fanningDakotaFanningfeaturedkristen stewartKristenStewartscout taylor-comptonScoutTaylor-comptonstella maeveStellaMaevethe runawaysTheRunawaysErik DavisThu, 02 Jul 2009 15:10:00 ESTOlympia Dukakis Grabs a Lesbian 'Thelma and Louise'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/olympia-dukakis-grabs-a-lesbian-thelma-and-louise/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/olympia-dukakis-grabs-a-lesbian-thelma-and-louise/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/olympia-dukakis-grabs-a-lesbian-thelma-and-louise/#commentsFiled under: Comedy, Casting, Scripts

Same-sex love is most definitely in the air. I already wrote about Julianne Moore and Annette Bening were coupling up for a new film today, but they're not the only ones. In a Thelma and Louise meets The Bucket List move, The Hollywood Reporter posts that Oscar winners Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker will star in a new road trip comedy from Thom Fitzgerald called Cloudburst.

Dukakis and Fricker will play a couple who have been together for 30 years. Itching for a little adventure, the two "break out of a nursing home and head to Canada to get married, picking up a young, male hitchhiker along the way." I can't begin to count the ways these two films are great. Both have long-term lesbian couples, played by women with oodles of talent, and in this case, feature an older generation of actresses -- a theme which seems to be slowly gaining momentum in Hollywood as the boomers get older.

I've got to wonder -- are these gigs thanks to the anger incited by Prop 8? It's rare to get one LGBT film, let alone two at the same time. Whatever the case, it's a nice and refreshing change to see some originality heading towards Hollywood. Think Dukakis and Fricker can give Sarandon and Davis a run for their money?

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]]>Brenda FrickerBrendaFrickerCinematicalCloudburstOlympia DukakisOlympiaDukakisThom FitzgeraldThomFitzgeraldMonika BartyzelThu, 02 Jul 2009 14:33:00 ESTActor Needed to Crush Hearts of Innocent Little Kidshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/actor-needed-to-crush-hearts-of-innocent-little-kids/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/actor-needed-to-crush-hearts-of-innocent-little-kids/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/actor-needed-to-crush-hearts-of-innocent-little-kids/#commentsFiled under: Celebrities and Controversy

Oh, the horrible human beings people become while trying to cut deals on Craigslist. With the holiday weekend approaching, and with news pretty slow, here's a story that certainly won't cheer you up. Apparently back in April, a single father put out an ad on Craigslist for an actor to come and literally steal his dog because it was becoming too overwhelming of a responsibility for him. Me describing it doesn't do the ad justice, so, here, read it yourself:

"My deceased aunt gave my two kids a Cocker Spaniel a few months back. The dog has been a terror and become overwhelming for me. I am a single father raising two young children. I cannot face telling the kids that the dog must go. I have found a good home for the dog, and just need someone to transport the dog, and play the villain.

Premise: You will be the dog walker hired by daddy (me) to walk Skittles. I will introduce you to the kids, and you will tell them you are going to help Skittles get her exercise when Daddy is too busy to walk her. At that point you will walk Skittles to your car and take her to her new family 20 minutes from my place. Then return holding just a leash. The story will be that Skittles broke free of the leash and took off. At this point prepare for crying, things being thrown at you, and possibly cursing. My kids are young and dramatic, their girls.

Pay will be $500. The job will take roughly 2 hours at best.

This job is ideal for an actor looking to diversify their role base, or someone who genuinely likes to make children cry. Acting experience is a plus, but not necessary. Please inform me of any prior experience in this kind of situation."

Continue reading Actor Needed to Crush Hearts of Innocent Little Kids

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]]>craigslistfeaturedErik DavisThu, 02 Jul 2009 13:32:00 ESTAtari Video Game 'Asteroids' Gets the Big Screen Treatmenthttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/atari-video-game-asteroids-gets-the-big-screen-treatment/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/atari-video-game-asteroids-gets-the-big-screen-treatment/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/atari-video-game-asteroids-gets-the-big-screen-treatment/#commentsFiled under: Fandom, Newsstand

Hopefully some of you are old enough to remember the classic Atari video game Asteroids, where the object of the game was to navigate this space ship through an asteroid field and shoot down whatever crazy flying object got in the way. That was it -- no storyline, no insane graphics -- just a bunch of glowing dots on a screen. Obviously the cinematic possibilities are endless (ahem, sarcasm), and so that's why there was a four-studio bidding war (!) for the film rights. Yup, four studios fought to win the film rights for Asteroids. That's where it's at right now in Hollywood ...

Read the rest at SciFi Squad

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]]>asteroidsataricinematicalCinematical staffThu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:00 ESTRodriguez Picks His 'Predators' Directorhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/rodriguez-picks-his-predators-director/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/rodriguez-picks-his-predators-director/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/rodriguez-picks-his-predators-director/#commentsFiled under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, 20th Century Fox, Remakes and Sequels

Lots of movie geeks (yes, like us) have been abuzz with the vague discussions regarding the Predator remake / reboot / sequel / whatever. All we really knew was that the generally kick-ass Robert Rodriguez was on board to oversee, as the producer, but now we have confirmation have Robert's good pal that the director has been named. And that name ... is Nimrod.

Nimrod Antal, to be precise, who fest-goers will know from Kontroll and thriller fans will recall from Vacancy. Harry's got a whole bunch of cool info on the project right here, but I've chosen a small segment that makes me particularly happy: "It involves a very intense group of people stranded on a Predator planet discovering unspeakable horrors." Yes! Plus Mr. Rodriguez shares some enthusiasm from a Fox colleague: "No one is going to talk about AVP again after this movie. I stake my life on it."

Hell, just give us a knock-down, drag-out Predator fest with a few meaty characters, a whole lot of action, and maybe a few storytelling hooks. That'll make a whole lot of people happy. Speaking only for myself, heck, I thought both of Antal's films were darn good, so I've no reason to doubt RR's call on this one!

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]]>directornimrod antalNimrodAntalpredatorsrobert rodriguezRobertRodriguezScott WeinbergThu, 02 Jul 2009 12:03:00 ESTNo Surprise: Ixnay on the Veronica Arsmayhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/no-surprise-ixnay-on-the-veronica-arsmay/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/no-surprise-ixnay-on-the-veronica-arsmay/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/no-surprise-ixnay-on-the-veronica-arsmay/#commentsFiled under: RumorMonger, Fandom

When a show that struggled to make three seasons, with two complete reboots, gets tapped for a feature film, you don't hold your breath in anticipation. Last August, we learned that Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell were meeting to discuss turning Veronica Mars into a feature film. That news was confirmed by Thomas in January, and it sounded like things would work out and actually head into production.

But the tide is finally turning to the expected demise. EW's Ausiello talked with Bell at the Saturn Awards, and she said: "I don't think it will ever happen, and here's why: [Series creator] Rob Thomas and I had a powwow, and we were both 100 percent on board. We took our proposal to Warner Bros. and Joel Silver told us that there is no enthusiasm [there] to make a Veronica Mars movie, and that is unfortunately a roadblock we cannot compete with."

Can't say that's a surprise. When I spoke with Silver at TIFF last year, he said he was open to discussion about the idea, but didn't sound exactly keen. And speaking as a big fan who loves Bell's Mars, I can't say I blame him. If the audience wasn't there for the show, they're not going to be there for a feature film, no matter how much we'd wish it so.

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]]>CinematicalKristen BellKristenBellRob ThomasRobThomasVeronica MarsVeronicaMarsMonika BartyzelThu, 02 Jul 2009 10:33:00 EST500 Days of ... Jenny Beckman?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/500-days-of-jenny-beckman/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/500-days-of-jenny-beckman/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/500-days-of-jenny-beckman/#commentsFiled under: Comedy, Romance, Fandom, Movie Marketing

It's not really a spoiler to say that in the upcoming cute and quirky 500 Days of Summer, the film begins with the following disclaimer: " Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely accidental ... Especially Jenny Beckman ... Bitch." Having seen this film play at festivals with Q&As afterward, the first or second question asked is always about whether or not Jenny Beckman is a real girl and perhaps the inspiration for the character Summer (played by Zooey Deschanel). The filmmakers have said that she is real, and at a recent screening of the film in Chicago, director Marc Webb added this to the end of his answer: "... yeah, she's real, look her up on Facebook."

So we looked her up on Facebook, and, yup, there's the Facebook page for a girl named Jenny Beckman who kinda sorta resembles Zooey Deschanel. She's a fan of 500 Days of Summer, her favorite music lists bands on the film's soundtrack (The Smiths are listed first) and she's friends with director Webb, as well as the writers of the movie. All that being said, I've walked away with a few questions:

1. Is this really the Facebook page for a girl named Jenny Beckman, and is this same Jenny Beckman the inspiration for Zooey Deschanel's character in 500 Days of Summer?
2. Is this just a piece of viral marketing on behalf of Fox Searchlight and/or the filmmakers to get people interested and keep them interested in the film?
3. If this is a hoax, then who is that girl in the picture? Is that really a girl named Jenny Beckman? Is the name Jenny Beckman fictitious, but is that still a picture of the girl who inspired the character?

We want answers! What do you think?

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]]>500 days of summer500DaysOfSummercinematicalfeaturedjenny beckmanJennyBeckmanmarc webbMarcWebbzooey deschanelZooeyDeschanelErik DavisThu, 02 Jul 2009 09:02:00 EST