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/Cinematical Seven: Movies That Pull an All-Nighterhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/cinematical-seven-movies-that-pull-an-all-nighter/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/cinematical-seven-movies-that-pull-an-all-nighter/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/cinematical-seven-movies-that-pull-an-all-nighter/#commentsFiled under: , ,



I've had my share of all-nighters, and sure, some of them were for a perfectly legitimate reason like studying, but I'll be honest with you: most of them were for reasons that for the sake of propriety, I shouldn't go into here -- and I know I'm not the only one. Who doesn't have a story about that one great night? Or that one party that couldn't be missed? Exactly, we all do, and maybe that's why we all love a good story about some wild and crazy all-nighter.

This Friday, audiences will be treated to another tale full of all-night shenanigans with I Love You, Beth Cooper, which follows a high school nobody who changes everything when he utters those five words during his graduation speech. So just like every 'all-nighter' film to go before it, Cooper is about breaking out of your comfort zone and watching the best laid plans go to waste -- and usually our hero or heroine gets to fall in love along the way. So with that in mind, let's take a look back at seven other films that are about our search for a good time.

1. The Allnighter
Well, you can't have a list about all-nighters without including this 80's turkey starring The Bangles' lead singer, Susanna Hoffs. Even Joan Cusack (the patron saint of 80's comedy) couldn't save this story about a group of girls looking for a good time on their last night before graduation. The Allnighter was written and directed by Hoff's mom, and was meant to be the singer's big break into acting. Unfortunately for her, the film was so bad that not only did it fail at the box office, it managed to turn the gal off from ever pursuing a film career at all.

After the jump: find out which other all-nighter flicks made the list...

Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Movies That Pull an All-Nighter

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]]>80scinematical sevenCinematicalSevencorey feldmanCorey HaimCoreyFeldmanCoreyHaimdazed and confusedDazedAndConfusedharold and kumarHaroldAndKumari love you beth cooperILoveYouBethCooperjeff goldblumJeffGoldblumJonah HillJonahHilllicense to driveLicenseToDrivelistMichael CeraMichaelCeraNick and Norahs Infinite PlaylistNickAndNorahsInfinitePlaylistsuperbadJessica BarnesThu, 09 Jul 2009 22:02:00 ESTReview: Brunohttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/review-bruno/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/review-bruno/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/review-bruno/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Given the kaleidoscopic venn diagram of contexts in which Bruno can and will inevitably be viewed, it's tough to know precisely where to start, and how far to go when deconstructing Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy. Like the singular, groundbreaking Borat, it's a balls-out comedy, but it's also a social commentary; it's both the latest movie Cohen appears in, and the big-deal "next effort" from him as a performance artist and lead rather than costar or day-player; and finally, it's a lightning rod for controversy and also a generally innocuous goof on mainstream expectations of him and his character, a flamboyant homosexual. All of which suggests that the film is, or perhaps would necessarily be, richer and more substantive than its predecessor - the sort of galvanizing experience that leaves audiences buzzing, changes minds and perceptions, and transforms the face of entertainment forever.

And yet, Bruno is curiously ineffective, a sort of middling effort that fails to liberate itself from the stereotypes that provide the character's foundations, even if it also doesn't deliberately or harmfully reinforce them.

Continue reading Review: Bruno

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]]>boratbrunolarry charlesLarryCharlesron paulRonPaulsacha baron cohenSachaBaronCohenTodd GilchristThu, 09 Jul 2009 21:02:00 ESTOur Favorite Summers: 1981http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/our-favorite-summers-1981/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/our-favorite-summers-1981/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/our-favorite-summers-1981/#commentsFiled under: ,



When you're ten years old, movies are the most magical place in the world. Anything can happen when those lights go down, and what now seems like a fleeting hour and a half seemed like an eternity at that age. It's also the age when your parents start dropping you off at the movies by yourself, as long as you went with a friend or a trusted family member. In my case, the first time that happened I was 11 and my older cousin took me and my little brother to see Tron ... and then skipped out on us to see The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas next door.

For this former ten-year-old, the movies were a seething pit of sex, action, adventure, laughter, and tears in the summer of 1981. These were the days that I used to buy those big one-shot movie magazines that were filled with photos and glib information. I read the one for Superman II until it fell apart in tatters at summer camp. Sadly, the magazine was much better than the movie. However, 1981 was also one of the greatest movie summers ever. Read on after the jump to find out why.

Continue reading Our Favorite Summers: 1981

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]]>1981CinematicalFavoriteFeaturedSummersKevin KellyThu, 09 Jul 2009 20:02:00 ESTNew Zealand: Where Film Festival Awards Come Before the Festivalhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/new-zealand-where-film-festival-awards-come-before-the-festival/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/new-zealand-where-film-festival-awards-come-before-the-festival/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/new-zealand-where-film-festival-awards-come-before-the-festival/#commentsFiled under: ,

In some opposite-ish corner of the world right now (from me anyway), the New Zealand International Film Festival kicks off today for the rest of the month, before making further provincial rounds through next November. (Damn, now that's a film festival!) It makes all the more sense that people might want to plan ahead for the highlights, and what better way to do that than to bequeath some awards for the films right from the get-go?

Incredibly Strange programmer Ant Timpson (who's perfectly normal himself, I swear it; that's the name of their specifically oddball selections) has rightfully singled out SXSW '09 alums like Best Worst Movie, Drag Me to Hell, Grace, The Horseman and Winnebago Man for particular accolades (i.e. "Best Film to Show Filmmakers That Low-Budget Doesn't Mean Twenty-Somethings Sitting in Cafes Talking About Their Boring Relationships"), not to mention a couple of other picks.

Timpson sums up his mentality thusly: "I already know these films are very special. I don't need a jury to tell me what I already know. I'm giving these films awards in advance because 99% of the public don't care what films win awards AFTER they've screened, they want to know BEFORE they screen..." Believe me you, the man has a point. The real question is, how will such thinking play in the States?

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]]>ant timpsonAntTimpsonbest worst movieBestWorstMoviedrag me to hellDragMeToHellfilm festivalfilm festival awardsfilm festival winnersFilmFestivalFilmFestivalAwardsFilmFestivalWinnersgracenew zealand international film festivalNewZealandInternationalFilmFestivalsxswsxsw2009the horsemanTheHorsemanwinnebago manWinnebagoManWilliam GossThu, 09 Jul 2009 19:02:00 ESTYoo-Hoo! Mrs. Goldberg's Hitting the Big Screenhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/yoo-hoo-mrs-goldbergs-hitting-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/yoo-hoo-mrs-goldbergs-hitting-the-big-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/yoo-hoo-mrs-goldbergs-hitting-the-big-screen/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Did you know that Lucille Ball was not the first woman of sitcom television land? In fact, there was another who not only came before the famous redhead, but who should also be counted as one of the pioneers behind the screen? No? I didn't either.

Enter Gertrude Berg, who is the focus of Aviva Kempner's new documentary Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, which is hitting theaters this week in New York City before heading to DC on the 17th and LA on the 24th. This isn't your heart-tugging, dramatic art doc, but rather a straight-forward account of someone we should know because, frankly, her success was impressive. (That picture to the right -- that's Berg with her scripts.)

Turns out that before I Love Lucy, there was a show radio show that hit television called The Goldbergs. It was Berg's own creation -- a brainchild she shopped around herself, wrote, and starred in from 1929 to 1954. (Writing daily episodes while also raising children and being an all-round wonderwoman, I might add.) Billboard called her the First Lady of Radio, she nabbed the first Best Actress Emmy, was the highest-paid guest star on TV ... the list goes on and on.

Yoo-Hoo plays out as a simple, informative film, one bolstered mostly by the context it creates. Berg's influence extended to everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsberg to Ed Asner and Norman Lear, and her success is bolstered by the fact that she was a self-made female professional of the '20s, who fought for her success through the rise of Hitler (she was Jewish), and even against the rabid insanity of McCarthyism.

In other words, a kickass woman and talent we should all be familiar with.

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]]>CinematicalGertrude BergGertrudeBergThe GoldbergsTheGoldbergsYoo-Hoo Mrs. GoldbergYoo-hooMrs.GoldbergMonika BartyzelThu, 09 Jul 2009 18:03:00 ESTCredits Report: WALL-Ehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/credits-report-wall-e/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/credits-report-wall-e/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/credits-report-wall-e/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Wall-E is such a good, sappy, funny, adventurous, touching, and enjoyable movie, that by the time you get to the end you're exhausted. Plus you probably have a single tear sliding down your cheek like Iron Eyes Cody. So by the time the end credits roll, you're looking for something to bring you back down to Earth, no pun intended. Aw, who am I kidding -- that pun was definitely intended.

Thankfully that thing isn't a Randy Newman song, although it does come via his cousin Thomas Newman who thank all the stars above wisely lets Peter Gabriel sing the outtro song "Down to Earth." Hey, it netted him an Oscar nod. The song is slow, beautiful, and plays out against visual images depicting the "new" history of mankind on the planet: cave drawings, hieroglyphics, mosaics, sketches, pointilism, Van Gogh skies ... and when it finally slides down underground and turns into a traditional credit crawl, you've got 8-bit graphics closing things out. Great stuff.

To quote Rob Reiner, "But hey, enough of my yakkin'! Whaddaya say? Let's boogie!" Check out the full end sequence after the jump.

Continue reading Credits Report: WALL-E

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]]>Andrew StantonAndrewStantoncredit reportCreditReportDisneyPixarWall-EKevin KellyThu, 09 Jul 2009 17:25:00 ESTTo the Calendar! Comic-Con 2009 Schedule Releasedhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/to-the-calendar-comic-con-2009-schedule-released/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/to-the-calendar-comic-con-2009-schedule-released/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/to-the-calendar-comic-con-2009-schedule-released/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Cinematical will be hitting Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego again this year, bringing you the sights, highlights, and lowlights of the four-day geek mecca. A mecca that now officially has a schedule. Since cloning machines still haven't been invented, if anyone manages to do that in in the next couple of weeks please let us know. We're going to need to be at multiple locations during multiple simultaneous times.

But, that just about sums up the entirety of Comic-Con: dashing from panel to panel, catching a glimpse of the millions of costumes, stopping by booths, hitting parties, and then repeating. You can check out the full schedule right here (eventually -- it's Thursday only for now), and we'll be posting some of what's on our Cinematical Must See list as we work our way through the schedule with a highlighter, but here's a couple of standouts for Thursday:

  • 11:00-12:30 Disney: 3D Panel- Walt Disney Pictures presents key filmmakers, select cast members and previously unseen footage from its upcoming slate, including Disney's A Christmas Carol, Alice In Wonderland and Tron. Special guests include Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger, and moderator Patton Oswalt. Hall H
  • 12:45-2:00 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar- In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie-going experience. Hall H

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]]>Comic BookComicBookcomiccon09ComicsFandomfeaturedGeekKevin KellyThu, 09 Jul 2009 16:40:00 ESTNews Bites: Brooke Shields on the Big Screen & 'Motherhood'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/news-bites-brooke-shields-on-the-big-screen-and-motherhood/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/news-bites-brooke-shields-on-the-big-screen-and-motherhood/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/news-bites-brooke-shields-on-the-big-screen-and-motherhood/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It looks like Brooke Shields is making her way back to the big screen, and this time she won't be getting saucy in The Blue Lagoon. After a decade away, The Hollywood Reporter posts that Shields has signed onto the live-action comedy Furry Vengeance. Actually, considering the title, it's probably good to note that this is a family film. There's no word on what role she'll play in the Brendan Fraser flick, which follows a real estate developer who gets a hard time from a band of raccoons. One -- What's the obsession with coons lately? Davey Crockett on the brain? Two -- It might be the usual Fraser fair, but the cast does boast Ken Jeong, Samantha Bee, and Dick Van Dyke as well.

Meanwhile, in the shadow of Parenthood heading to the small screen, THR also posts that Freestyle Releasing has picked up Motherhood, and will release it this October. This is the Uma Thurman/Minnie Driver/Anthony Edwards project that has Uma trying to pull together her daughter's sixth birthday party in the midst of "urban challenges." As the ed note pointed out in the post about her casting last year, "More Goose!" But there's also the perk of a practically fully female production. Katherine Dieckman wrote and directed it, and it's produced by Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, Jana Edelbaum, and Rachel Cohen. They say: "From the outset, Motherhood has been a labor of love for us. As a collection of female filmmakers, we immediately took to the humor and honesty of the project."

Hopefully the labor is worth it!

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]]>Brendan FraserBrendanFraserBrooke ShieldsBrookeShieldsCinematicalDick Van DykeDickVanDykeFurry VengeanceFurryVengeanceKen JeongKenJeongMotherhoodSamantha BeeSamanthaBeeUma ThurmanUmaThurmanMonika BartyzelThu, 09 Jul 2009 16:03:00 ESTScenes We Love: Boiler Roomhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/scenes-we-love-boiler-room/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/scenes-we-love-boiler-room/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/scenes-we-love-boiler-room/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Unlike some people, I've always been a fan of Ben Affleck. Sure he went through his own Pitt-Jolie phase back when he was dating JLo, and because of that a lot of people began to despise Affleck, but I hung in there and admired the choices he's made later on in his career, not to mention really enjoyed his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. For me, though, Affleck has always been at his best when he plays villain or wise ass or bully. One of my favorite roles of his is when he played O'Bannion in Dazed and Confused, and he's also fantastic in a brief supporting appearance in Boiler Room.

In Boiler Room -- which follows a young college dropout (Giovanni Ribisi in one of his best roles) up through the ranks of a Chop Shop out on Long Island -- Affleck plays Jim Young, the firm's trainer of new recruits. He's the guy they bring in to give all these newbies a taste of success, of money, of power -- and in this classic scene, he works the room like a stripper at a bachelor party, teasing these kids with visions of being millionaires within three years from their first day on the job. Of course we soon learn the job is a lot less glamorous than Young makes it out to be, but that's why he's so good at what he does: he knows how to turn nothing into a whole bunch of something. Boiler Room is currently making the rounds on cable; it's a pretty solid movie with some great, seedy performances. Definitely check it out.

Watch the NSFW clip after the jump

Continue reading Scenes We Love: Boiler Room

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]]>ben affleckBenAffleckboiler roomBoilerRoomcinematicaldazed and confusedDazedAndConfusedErik DavisThu, 09 Jul 2009 15:02:00 ESTRicky Gervais Clumsily Introduces Ralph Fiennes in 'Cemetery Junction' Teaserhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/ricky-gervais-clumsily-introduces-ralph-fiennes-in-cemetery-jun/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/ricky-gervais-clumsily-introduces-ralph-fiennes-in-cemetery-jun/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/ricky-gervais-clumsily-introduces-ralph-fiennes-in-cemetery-jun/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Having co-created "The Office" (the original) and "Extras" (which I've had sitting on my shelf to watch for ages now), Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have most recently seen fit to co-write and direct their first film together, the seventies-set Cemetery Junction. With filming just having begun less than a month ago, though, the duo has nonetheless whipped up a brief but funny teaser trailer with the help of star Ralph Fiennes -- an actor not exactly known for his comedic prowess...

(You know what? Scratch that: all his guff served In Bruges and that Wallace & Gromit movie quite well.)

Also starring Emily Watson, Matthew Goode, and (yes) Gervais and Merchant themselves, Cemetery Junction should hit theaters at some point in 2010 (the UK has an April date, so here's hoping the US release is similarly spring-like). With any luck, maybe they'll coax their colleagues into similarly amusing appearances before the film's finished.

Watch the teaser trailer after the jump

Continue reading Ricky Gervais Clumsily Introduces Ralph Fiennes in 'Cemetery Junction' Teaser

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]]>cemetery junctionCemeteryJunctionralph fiennesRalphFiennesricky gervaisRickyGervaisstephen merchantStephenMerchantthe men at the pruTheMenAtThePruWilliam GossThu, 09 Jul 2009 14:15:00 ESTExclusive: Eli Roth Talks 'Thanksgiving'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/exclusive-eli-roth-talks-thanksgiving/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/exclusive-eli-roth-talks-thanksgiving/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/exclusive-eli-roth-talks-thanksgiving/#commentsFiled under: ,


During an exclusive telephone interview to promote his role as Pvt. Donny Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's WWII epic Inglourious Basterds, Eli Roth told Cinematical that Thanksgiving is not the next film he's set to direct, but it's definitely going to get made. "That movie, the financing, the money is in a bank account," Roth said. "I mean, I could literally say I'm starting production tomorrow and we'd start. It's 100 percent up to me, but I'm just working on the script with Jeff Rendell, the co-writer. Jeff's the one who in the trailer, he plays the Pilgrim, and we're just writing it. We're just figuring it out and we're just coming up with the kills and the characters."

Thanksgiving was initially created as a fake movie trailer that connected the two theatrical halves of Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez' Grindhouse, but its own popularity inspired the director to blow it up from a 16mm short into a feature film. Roth actually indicated that Endangered Species, a PG-13 sci-fi film in the vein of Cloverfield, was to be his next directorial effort. "I want to be finished with Endangered, and then Jeff is supposed to come out to Los Angeles probably some time in August and we'll probably bang out the script," he explained, indicating that the disparate content of the two films may ultimately complement his enthusiasm creatively.

Read the rest (and see the infamous trailer) at HorrorSquad!

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]]>eli rothEliRothfeaturedgrindhouseinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinothanksgivingTodd GilchristThu, 09 Jul 2009 13:32:00 EST'Funny People': New Trailer and Adam Sandler's Prank Call, Circa 1991http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/funny-people-new-trailer-and-adam-sandlers-prank-call-circa/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/funny-people-new-trailer-and-adam-sandlers-prank-call-circa/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/funny-people-new-trailer-and-adam-sandlers-prank-call-circa/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The summer movie season has already past its half-way point, but my two most anticipated films still haven't arrived: District 9 and Judd Apatow's Funny People. We talked about the former yesterday, and now today it's time to plug a film that looks to bring it all: laughs, tears, Australian accents, Seth Rogen's weird cough-laugh, sarcastic Australian accents, Jason Schwartzman looking stoned, Jonah Hill being a d*ck, tons of stand-up comedy -- seriously, what more could you want from a movie?

Two new pieces of Funny People marketing have arrived today. We have a red-band trailer that premiered over at MySpace and a piece of viral awesomeness that premiered over at Moviefone. The red-band (or restricted ... which sounds so mean, doesn't it) trailer isn't all too bad (with the exception of an oral sex joke), and it definitely shines a light on the finer aspects of Apatow's films, which include real, human moments, or, as some would say, the little stuff.

Meanwhile, the viral piece is something pretty unique. Back in the early '90s, Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler were actual roommates, who, apparently, filmed ridiculous things like prank calls. So ... this video is Apatow filming a very young-looking Sandler prank-calling the local deli as an old lady to complain about a sandwich while wearing underwear on his head. Check out both the trailer and the viral video after the jump.

Funny People hits theaters on July 31.

Continue reading 'Funny People': New Trailer and Adam Sandler's Prank Call, Circa 1991

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]]>adam sandlerAdamSandlercinematicalfunny peopleFunnyPeoplejason schwartzmanJasonSchwartzmanjonah hillJonahHilljudd apatowJuddApatowseth rogenSethRogenErik DavisThu, 09 Jul 2009 12:41:00 ESTGeek Daily: The Woes of Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Spider-Man 4http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/geek-daily-the-woes-of-green-hornet-green-lantern-spider-man/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/geek-daily-the-woes-of-green-hornet-green-lantern-spider-man/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/geek-daily-the-woes-of-green-hornet-green-lantern-spider-man/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,



It's been awhile since I got to break out the old Geek Daily graphic. I've really missed it! Today, it's coming in handy thanks to a smattering of news and rumors ...

First, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Cameron Diaz is in talks to play the female lead in The Green Hornet. Her reps declined to comment. She'd be a natural against Seth Rogen, that's for sure. I still don't even know what to make of this project, but I do want it to get underway so I can judge it with a little less of a kneejerk reaction.

Spider-Man 4 has a new writer, says The Hollywood Reporter. Gary Ross has been brought on to do a rewrite. Ross has worked with Tobey Maguire before on Seabiscuit and Pleasantville, and is collaborating with him on Toyko Suckerpunch. He's the third screenwriting heavyweight to tackle it, as James Vanderbilt and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire have both tried to crack the web-spinner. Should we start seeing red flags? Or will the combo of Vanderbilt, Ross, and Lindsay-Abaire make something Shakespearean out of Spider-Man?

Edgar Wright told Omelete that he's eager to return to Ant-Man, and plans to return to the erstwhile Avenger once Scott Pilgrim is done. "Ant Man is something that I need to return to. I wrote a draft before Scott Pilgrim started and it's kind on back burner slightly just because I've been busy with this. But it's something that I have got to return to. I have to do another draft after Scott Pilgrim is done ... When you come away from something it's good and fun to rework what you've already done. But I'm very happy with the first draft and we need to get back into business." [via Collider]

More below the jump ...

Continue reading Geek Daily: The Woes of Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Spider-Man 4

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]]>Ant-Mancameron diazCameronDiazdavid lindsay-abaireDavidLindsay-abaireedgar wrightEdgarWrightGary RossGaryRossjames vanderbiltJamesVanderbiltmarc guggenheimMarcGuggenheimmichel gondryMichelGondrySeth RogenSethRogenSpider-Man 4Spider-man4stephen norringtonStephenNorringtonThe Crowthe green hornetThe Green LanternTheCrowTheGreenHornetTheGreenLanternElisabeth RappeThu, 09 Jul 2009 12:02:00 ESTRaja Gosnell to Direct Live-Action 'Smurfs'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/raja-gosnell-to-direct-live-action-smurfs/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/raja-gosnell-to-direct-live-action-smurfs/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/raja-gosnell-to-direct-live-action-smurfs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I'd like to think that someone was tapping into the liberty caps when they decided to make a live-action/animated movie of the Smurfs. It would, in so many ways, be fitting. Or at least an excuse. But in reality, studios just seem to find something irresistible about CG + live action, or animated characters becoming live action. The Cat in the Hat, The Chipmunks, Scooby Doo...

It may have taken a long time to get to this point, but now Variety reports that the guy who brought us Beverly Hill Chihuahua and Scooby, Raja Gosnell, is primed to direct Smurfs for a release on December 17, 2010. Between his involvement and the writers -- J. David Stern and David N. Weiss from Shrek 2 -- they've come up with the script that is being polished by Audrey Wells (George of the Jungle) -- I'm sure this is one of those projects that will make the old fans groan, yet seem to attract an immense audience that paves the way for even more reboots. Muppet Babies, Pound Puppies, Care Bears, oh my!

All of that snarkiness aside, I will probably see this sucker in the theaters if they take a cue from ex-Cinematical writer Christopher Campbell and cast Abe Vigoda. That would be the stuff of legend!

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]]>CinematicalfeaturedRaja GosnellRajaGosnellSmurfsThe SmurfsTheSmurfsMonika BartyzelThu, 09 Jul 2009 11:15:00 ESTFirst Look: Ellen Page Ready to 'Whip It'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/first-look-ellen-page-ready-to-whip-it/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/first-look-ellen-page-ready-to-whip-it/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/first-look-ellen-page-ready-to-whip-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, and Kristen Wiig in 'Whip It' (20th Century Fox)

Call it Juno on Wheels. The first image of Ellen Page in the upcoming roller derby flick Whip It has been released, showing her strapped into a girl scout uniform as she skates around a track with Drew Barrymore and Kristen Wiig. The photo above, and several others, can be viewed at USA Today (additionally, check out two extra images below)

The film represents Barrymore's directorial debut. Page stars as 17-year-old Bliss Cavendar, who is tired of competing in beauty pageants at the insistence of her mother (Marcia Gay Harden). She rebels by joining the Hurl Scouts, a women's roller derby team in Austin, Texas, and finds her true calling -- or, at least, a good place to unleash some pent-up aggression. Barrymore skates with the Scouts, as does Saturday Night Live's Wiig and the great Zoe Bell (Death Proof). Juliette Lewis is described as the villain of the piece, an opposing player determined to defeat Page and the Scouts, and the players all have cool nicknames: Smashley Simpson, Maggie Mayhem, Bloody Holly, and so forth.

As Jenni Miller advised, Fox Searchlight will distribute the film, which is set for release on October 9. Roller derby vet Shauna Cross (AKA Maggie Mayhem) wrote the screenplay, based on her own novel, Derby Girl. A very good doc about the Austin roller derby scene, Hell on Wheels, is available to view at SnagFilms (we also embedded it after the jump), and if Whip It can approach that real-life excitement, it could break out of the fall pack. Since nicknames are de rigeur for roller derby players, what nickname will you choose if you decide to see Ellen Page Whip It?

Gallery: Whip It

Continue reading First Look: Ellen Page Ready to 'Whip It'

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]]>derby girlDerbyGirldrew barrymoreDrewBarrymoreellen pageEllenPagefeaturedjuliette lewisJulietteLewiskristen wiigKristenWiigmarcia gay hardenMarciaGayHardenroller derbyRollerDerbyshauna crossShaunaCrosswhip itWhipItwomens roller derbyWomensRollerDerbyPeter MartinThu, 09 Jul 2009 10:32:00 ESTWarner Bros Has Until 2011 To Pull Superman Out of Limbohttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/warner-bros-has-until-2011-to-pull-superman-out-of-limbo/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/warner-bros-has-until-2011-to-pull-superman-out-of-limbo/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/warner-bros-has-until-2011-to-pull-superman-out-of-limbo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

When Warner Bros announced it was rebooting the Superman franchise, we all held our breath a little bit waiting to see what Gigantic News would come next. Of course, nothing happened. Last week, Omelete talked to Brandon Routh on the Scott Pilgrim set, who revealed that his Superman contract had expired, and that he had no idea when or if he would return to the character. (Pause for a moment and realize how much it has to suck to get the part of Superman, and have it go utterly sour.) That news suggested one of two things: that Warner Bros would let the franchise expire too, or that they were planning on picking out a new Man of Steel.

Now, Warner Bros and DC Comics have won a favorable ruling in the suit filed by Joanne Siegel and Laura Siegel Larson, the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerome Siegel. If you're curious about the lawsuit in its entirety, ThinkMcFlyThink has a pdf of it, but the part that concerns Superman fans is this: Warner Bros president Alan Horn testified that he'd like to make another movie, but that the project wasn't currently in development at the studio. There isn't even a script being written. The earliest another Superman film could hit theaters would be 2012.

More at SciFiSquad!

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]]>Brandon RouthBrandonRouthDC ComicsDcComicsJerome SiegelJeromeSiegelJoanne SiegelJoanneSiegelLaura Siegel LarsonLauraSiegelLarsonSiegel lawsuitSiegelLawsuitSupermansuperman returnsSupermanReturnsWarner BrosWarnerBrosElisabeth RappeThu, 09 Jul 2009 09:45:00 ESTFrancis Lawrence and Will Smith to Reunite for 'City That Sailed'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/francis-lawrence-and-will-smith-to-reunite-for-city-that-sailed/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/francis-lawrence-and-will-smith-to-reunite-for-city-that-sailed/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/09/francis-lawrence-and-will-smith-to-reunite-for-city-that-sailed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For all that I Am Legend imploded with that awful doctored ending, it was actually really interesting for a while -- mostly because both Will Smith and director Francis Lawrence were willing to go surprisingly far in suggesting that isolation had actually driven Smith's Robert Neville to no-kidding insanity. It's the kind of bold move that can make an otherwise frivolous summer blockbuster into something special.

It's promising, then, that Lawrence and Smith are looking to team up on a project that reads like one enormous bold gesture. The City That Sailed, which Lawrence has signed on to direct and develop for Smith to star in, is about a father and daughter who live on different continents, he in New York and she in England -- until the daughter's wish for a reunion is granted in the form of the island of Manhattan breaking off from the U.S. seaboard and carrying dad across the pond.


Continue reading Francis Lawrence and Will Smith to Reunite for 'City That Sailed'

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]]>andrew niccolAndrewNiccolbrian koppelmanBrianKoppelmandavid levienDavidLevienfrancis lawrenceFrancisLawrencethe city that sailedTheCityThatSailedwill smithWillSmithEugene NovikovThu, 09 Jul 2009 09:03:00 ESTCinematical Rewind: Actors Who Could Play Siblingshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/cinematical-rewind-actors-who-could-play-siblings/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/cinematical-rewind-actors-who-could-play-siblings/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/cinematical-rewind-actors-who-could-play-siblings/#commentsFiled under: ,



(Cinematical Rewind is a new column that showcases some of our favorite posts from the past few years. Here's Jeffrey M. Anderson's famous Cinematical Seven from 7/22/08)

Occasionally Hollywood cobbles together random members of the A-list to play family members on film, even if their genes obviously come from opposite ends of the earth. If the actors are good enough or if the chemistry is there, sometimes the combo can work, such as Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman as brothers in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead or Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor in Cassandra's Dream. Other times, it stretches credibility, such as Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman in The Darjeeling Limited. My all-time favorite oddball casting is in Sidney Lumet's Family Business (1989), with Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman and Matthew Broderick playing grandfather, father and son. (Huh?) At the same time, there are actor combos out there who just scream to be paired up in a family capacity. Remember Julia Roberts and Kyra Sedgwick in Something to Talk About? Well, neither do I, but that pairing was perfect. Here are a few others that could work:

1. Christian Bale & Samantha Morton

I don't mean to harp on that old "Bad British teeth" thing, but both Christian and Samantha have front teeth that seem to curve slightly upward in the center, so that their pearly whites tend to disappear under their top lips when they speak. As a result, both speak with ever-so-vague sibilant 'S'es -- Christian more so than Samantha. (It's fairly inconvenient trait for a Bruce Wayne trying to maintain his secret identity.) But aside from that, they both have dark, intense eyes and they certainly both project a similar, singularly dedicated mood onscreen. (Christian is the big brother, three years older than Samantha.)

Gallery: Actors Who Could Play Siblings

Zooey Deschanel & Chloe SevignySteve Martin & Dennis QuaidNicole Kidman & Naomi WattsGretchen Mol & Charlize TheronMeryl Streep & Natascha McElhone

Continue reading Cinematical Rewind: Actors Who Could Play Siblings

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]]>chloe sevignyChloeSevignychristian baleChristianBaledennis quaidDennisQuaidhelen huntHelenHuntleelee sobieskiLeeleeSobieskisamantha mortonSamanthaMortonsteve martinSteveMartinzooey deschanelZooeyDeschanelCinematical staffWed, 08 Jul 2009 22:02:00 ESTIndie Roundup: 'New Orleans Mon Amour,' Box Office YTDhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/indie-roundup-new-orleans-mon-amour-box-office-ytd/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/indie-roundup-new-orleans-mon-amour-box-office-ytd/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/indie-roundup-new-orleans-mon-amour-box-office-ytd/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

'Indie Roundup'

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

Opening. Three indie flicks open on Friday: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte's terrific music doc Soul Power, Chris Nahon's live-action adaptation of anime horror thriller Blood: The Last Vampire, and a reissue of Francois Truffaut's 1969 crime romance Mississippi Mermaid, with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Catherine Deneuve. After a good start in New York and Los Angeles (see below), action thriller The Hurt Locker expands into 50 selected markets.

Deals / Articles of Interest. Our friends at indieWIRE reported on three recent acquisitions with upcoming theatrical releases planned: Chris Fuller's critically-acclaimed teen drama Loren Cass (Kino; July 24); Rebecca Miller's The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, with Robin Wright Penn and Alan Arkin (Screen Media, October); and Dror Zahavi's thriller For My Father (Film Movement, Winter 2010). Eugene Hernandez considers Chris Anderson's new book Free: The Future of a Radical Price and suggests that Anderson's "ideas and examples" are applicable to the "evolving marketplace for movies."

On-Demand Viewing. Anne Thompson posted a clip at Variety for Michael Almereyda's post-Karina drama New Orleans Mon Amour, with Elisabeth Moss and Christopher Eccleston. I saw it at SXSW last year and couldn't get into its very deliberate pacing; its virtues might be better appreciated on a smaller screen. It debuts on cable VOD on July 15. Blogging at The Huffington Post, filmmaker Adam Hootnick compares recent events in Iran with the situation in Gaza after Israel's withdrawal from its settlements in 2005. That's the subject of his film Unsettled, which is now available on iTunes and Amazon VOD.

After the jump: Indie box office results -- and a year-to-date report.

Continue reading Indie Roundup: 'New Orleans Mon Amour,' Box Office YTD

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]]>blood the last vampireBloodTheLastVampirefeaturedindie roundupindie weekend box officeIndieRoundupIndieWeekendBoxOfficemississippi mermaidMississippiMermaidnew orleans mon amourNewOrleansMonAmouropening this weekOpeningThisWeeksoul powerSoulPowerthe hurt lockerTheHurtLockerunsettledPeter MartinWed, 08 Jul 2009 21:02:00 ESTDane, Dempsey ... Is There a Difference?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/dane-dempsey-is-there-a-difference/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/dane-dempsey-is-there-a-difference/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/dane-dempsey-is-there-a-difference/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane -- Is one Grey's Anatomy star all that different from another? In a strange news twist and ultimate bit of Grey's fandom, our classic movie trades are reporting that both of the hit show's leading hottie doctors are signing up for Garry Marshall's Valentine's Day. Variety reports that Eric Dane (who plays Dr. Mark Sloan) is joining the cast, while The Hollywood Reporter posts that Patrick Dempsey is. Neither mentions the other bit of casting. Is New Line spreading the casting news wealth?

Dane will play a quarterback wondering whether he should retire in the ensemble comedy, while Dempsey once again plays a doctor. But this time, he's no good doctor, but rather "a married obstetrician dating [Jennifer] Garner's character on the sly, with her unaware of his status." Bad Dempsey.

Valentine's Day is the super-packed romcom ensemble that Peter posted about back in May. Following on the He's Just Not That Into You bandwagon, the film boasts names that range from Julia Roberts to Jessica Biel as they work "their way through a tangle of circumstances in Los Angeles" -- presumably on Cupid's big day.

While I'd like to see this flick have a little more brains than the one it's following after, I bet the chances are slim to none. Marshall is the guy, after all, who followed up Pretty Woman and Frankie and Johnny with Exit to Eden. But for the undying fans of floofy romantic schlock, I bet this'll be downright irresistible.

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]]>CinematicalEric DaneEricDaneGarry MarshallGarryMarshallPatrick DempseyPatrickDempseyValentines DayValentinesDayMonika BartyzelWed, 08 Jul 2009 20:15:00 EST