jeremy piven Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Real or Fake: The Matt Damon 'Entourage' Freak Out
Filed under: Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
First there was David O. Russell's much-publicized on-set freak out, and then it was Christian Bale all but tearing a cinematographer in half. Now a video has surfaced featuring Matt Damon directing Adrian Grenier in what looks to be a PSA for a site called One by One, which does exist and (thanks to commenter Corey for pointing this out) is apparently an organization that helps children in poverty from around the world. Matt Damon is the company's spokesperson.
So Grenier has, like, five lines to deliver, but he keeps stumbling over his words and pissing Damon off. Meanwhile, Jeremy Piven (who looks like he's either in his full-on Ari Gold character or just stepped off the set of Entourage) is frantically pacing behind Damon as he continually corrects and eventually goes off on Grenier. Piven doesn't say a word, so it's tough to say, yes, he is in character as Ari Gold -- though he does look to be acting as if he were Grenier's agent. That being said, Damon refers to Grenier by his real name and not Vince (though at one point Grenier asks if he should talk as Vince), so who knows what the hell is going on here.
I personally think they're filming something for an upcoming Entourage episode and decided to have a little fun at the same time by throwing together this little viral video. Either way it's pretty hilarious, and I wish it went on a drop longer so we could really watch cameo king Matt Damon freak out hardcore.
Watch the NSFW, foul-mouthed video after the jump, and you decide: is it real or is it fake?
Is 'The Goods' Racist?
Filed under: Comedy », Politics », Paramount Vantage »
Apparently, the Japanese American Citizens League thinks so. The group is angry about a scene featuring a racist rant against the Japanese that leads to an ass-kicking of the lone Asian in the group, played by Ken Jeong, who is of Korean heritage.
The AP reports there are other things in the movie that the JACL are displeased with besides the Pearl Harbor rant given by Jeremy Piven's character, Don Ready, like when he uses the word "Jap" and engages in other human resource department nightmares.
Paramount Vantage responded, "We understand that when presented out of context, jokes and situations in the movie about a variety of topics might be offensive to some people... To be very clear, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is in no way meant to be mean-spirited, disparaging or hurtful to any individuals and we regret any offense taken."
If you want to chat about whether or not The Goods tickled your funny bone or pissed you off, producer Adam McKay wants to hear about it. He announced last weekend on Twitter that he'd respond to calls about the movie and live-stream his answers, and based on how it went last Sunday, he is planning to do it again. He's also responsive to Tweets (and is very, very funny), so I suggest you follow him, Goods or no.
Have you seen The Goods? Were you offended?
Review: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
Filed under: Comedy », Paramount », Theatrical Reviews », Paramount Vantage », Summer Movies »
How strange it is to think that a comedy isn't brash enough or absurd enough or funny enough (okay, that one's not so strange), but the truth about The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is that, while it is brash and absurd and funny in fits and starts, it also seems to lose its nerve as it goes on, running low on laughing gas and coasting to a stop or whatever it is that auto-minded metaphors for auto-minded comedies do.
A wheeler and dealer even in grade school, the now-grown Don Ready (Jeremy Piven) sells cars like nobody's business when somebody's business is in trouble, and that's just the predicament that Ben Selleck (James Brolin) finds himself in. Ready's entourage includes the likes of Ving Rhames, Kathryn Hahn and David Koechner; I'll leave you to guess which of the three is the willful slut. Selleck's staff includes Ken Jeong, Tony Hale and Charles Napier; I'll leave you to determine which of those three suffers most at the racist outbursts of another (hint: not Hale).
Interview: Jeremy Piven
Filed under: Interviews », Paramount Vantage »
It's rare that even a movie's biggest fan can recall all of the little throwaway lines of dialogue and performance details from supporting players. But if that supporting player is Jeremy Piven, you can almost guarantee it will come immediately to mind, whether he's an assaultive partygoer who turns introspective during a Gas 'N Sip hangout session in Say Anything, or a pal searching for romantic redemption during his high school reunion in Grosse Pointe Blank. Finally in charge of his own film, The Goods, Piven is no less generous with his comedic set-ups, sharing the screen with a talented ensemble of players (including Ving Rhames, Katheryn Hahn and Rob Riggle) who find themselves tasked with the challenge of liquidating an entire dealership's stock of cars over the Fourth of July holiday.
Cinematical recently spoke to Piven via telephone to discuss his participation in the film, which is produced by Adam McKay (Step Brothers) and directed by Neil Brennan (Chappelle's Show). In addition to talking about the good fortune that found him at the helm of a summer comedy, Piven discussed the prospect of making a car salesman a charming fellow, and reflected on the reasons why folks seem to find him such a convincing con man.
Cinematical: A car salesman is perhaps not the first person you think about when you imagine a sympathetic character. How much did you want this guy to be genuinely likeable and how much of a snake-oil salesman did you want him to be?
Exclusive: 'The Goods' Character Poster
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Posters »
Click image below to view full poster
Cinematical has just received this exclusive character poster featuring the hilarious Ken Jeong as Teddy Dang from the upcoming comedy The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. Starring Jeong, Jeremy Piven, Ed Helms, Ving Rhames, David Koechner, Tony Hale, Rob Riggle and an assortment of random comic talent, The Goods follows a used-car liquidator (Piven) who's brought into a flailing car dealership to help them dodge impending bankruptcy by turning one helluva profit during their Fourth of July sale.
The month of August is known for its sleeper comedy; the kind that sneaks up on you after a summer full of overly-hyped popcorn fluff. I remember Accepted being a late-August surprise, as was Superbad -- and now The Goods is shaping up to be this year's raunchy little guilty pleasure. As someone who loves to watch Jeremy Piven lead a rag-tag team of morons to victory (see the excellent PCU), I'm definitely down for a wild late-summer laugher before the fall season begins.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is due in theaters this Friday, August 14th. Click the image below to view the full poster.
Gallery: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
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'Smokin' Aces' Prequel is a Go
Filed under: Action »
Anticipation for some films burns like a white hot ember, while others inspire a resounding "meh!". Empire Movie News has posted that the prequel to 2006's Smokin' Aces -- which was written and directed by Joe Carnahan -- is moving forward. As Carnahan posted on his official site, "Finally, some actual Smokin' Aces news. Universal has officially greenlit the prequel and we are underway. Cameos will abound. Trust me."Smokin' Aces told the story of Buddy Israel, (Jeremy Piven) a coked up Vegas performer who is about to testify against the mob. Once the news of the one million dollar contract on Buddy's head hits the streets, pretty much everyone in the western hemisphere who knows how to use a gun is out to blow him away. Since the original film took an "everybody dies" approach, the prequel seems like the smart way to go, though it remains to be seen how many members of the original (and pretty damn impressive) cast will be coming back. The Empire article suggests that the prequel might go straight to DVD, but time will tell.
Personally I find myself in the "meh" category. The original was a staccato barrage of violence that tried to be Pulp Fiction for people with short attention spans. Given the facts that the original currently has a 27% rotten rating at Rottentomatoes.com and that it pulled in a mere $35 million during its theatrical run, I can't imagine too many folks are salivating in anticipation of the further adventures of Buddy Israel and the many people who want him dead. What do we think, people? Does the world need a Smokin' Aces prequel?
Review: RockNRolla
Filed under: Action », Comedy », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », Toronto International Film Festival »
You'd think that being married to Madonna, Guy Ritchie would have picked up on the value of occasionally reinventing oneself. But no, he keeps making the same movie, the same ultra-cool exercises in British gangster violence and stylish criminal shenanigans, and RockNRolla is the latest entry. Then again, the one time he did try something different, the result was Swept Away, so maybe he's wise to stay in his comfort zone.
At any rate, RockNRolla inspires strong feelings of "meh" in me. It's not nearly as clever, funny, or stylish as Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, though the accents are a lot less indecipherable this time around, so that's nice. It's also not as good as Gangster No. 1 or Sexy Beast or many of the other gritty British gangster capers that have come around in the last several years. It feels like a rerun -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing, after all. People watch reruns all the time.
Our narrator is Archie (Mark Strong), who works as the calm, suave right-hand man to Lenny (Tom Wilkinson), the most powerful money-lender and underworld boss in London. Half the city's councilors, judges, and cops are in Lenny's pocket, and he has leveraged this influence into a massive fortune in real estate.
Lenny is not a figure to be messed with, but the Russians don't know that. A new mover and shaker named Uri (Karel Roden) has come to town to strike a deal with Lenny -- it involves paying Lenny to bribe city officials to get a construction project underway -- and he's a formidable figure himself. Lenny is old school; Uri is dangerously modern.
SDCC 2008: Dark Castle Presents: RocknRolla
Filed under: Festival Reports », ComicCon »
The story behind my RocknRolla coverage could actually be a Guy Ritchie film -- you'd have to add a few car chases and shoot-outs, but I think the framework is there. Due to the insanity of Hall H, I decided I would sit through the next three panels in order to be guaranteed a seat at RocknRolla. My phone rings. "RocknRolla press. Here's the room. You've got five minutes." I grab my tape recorder, and phone, and I run. I run up the escalator, yoga and stomach crunches actually paying off as I arrive with only the minor warnings of a heart attack.
And once I get in, what befalls me? Only an entire slew of strange technical difficulties -- my tape recorder refused to record, as did my cell phone, and my cell phone camera decided to take half the photo in blinding white, half in black. Naturally, everything worked outside the room, so go figure, and thank goodness for good old fashioned pen and paper, eh? There must have been something on my face -- shock, fear, or the paleness of impending death / bad coverage because Gerard Butler took one look at me, and stuck his tongue out in a "Total insanity, right?!" face. (At least, that's how I interpreted it. I hope he wasn't commenting on my appearance or broken tape recorder.)
'RocknRolla' Poster is Armed and Shirtless
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Thrillers », Warner Brothers », Movie Marketing », Images », Posters »
After the trailer comes the first poster for Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla. It originated on Film1 (Erik posted some cool posters from them yesterday), and was then sent to me by one of the delightful chicks at Gerard Butler GALS. They will be my new best friends if they keep this up.
Compared to the trailer, it's a pretty subdued affair. It's a little bit Smokin' Aces, and a little bit The Boondock Saints, but stylish and badass all on its own. Despite Gerard Butler's torso being so prominent in the trailer, it seems Warner Bros found it a distraction when it came to the poster. They decided to let another actor show off his six-pack, but I think they should have let Tom Wilkinson show off his bald pate instead.
RocknRolla comes to American theatres October 31st. But if you're going to San Diego ComicCon, the rumor is that you'll get a footage fix before then. I'll be there front and center. I need a fix to tide me over until fall.
Compared to the trailer, it's a pretty subdued affair. It's a little bit Smokin' Aces, and a little bit The Boondock Saints, but stylish and badass all on its own. Despite Gerard Butler's torso being so prominent in the trailer, it seems Warner Bros found it a distraction when it came to the poster. They decided to let another actor show off his six-pack, but I think they should have let Tom Wilkinson show off his bald pate instead.
RocknRolla comes to American theatres October 31st. But if you're going to San Diego ComicCon, the rumor is that you'll get a footage fix before then. I'll be there front and center. I need a fix to tide me over until fall.
After the List Comes the Reactions from Golden Globes Nominees
Filed under: Awards », Newsstand », Oscar Watch »
While my favorite part of For Your Consideration is Marilyn Hack's plastic surgery, I also love that dreaded morning when the Oscar nominations get announced. Some actors wait anxiously to hear their name announced, while others, thinking they're totally off the Academy's radar, get nods while they're snoozing. Then, to add insult to injury, the losers get tracked down for embarrassing meltdowns and awkwardness on television. It's not quite that bad in real life, but as I read the reactions of those who received Golden Globe nominations, that movie keeps popping up in my head. So, check out these reactions, courtesy of Variety:Dudes Chewing on Their Nails Hoping to Get Nominations: Jeremy Piven & Focus Features
"I got a call around 5:30, but I was up, believe it or not." -- Piven
"I was sitting here at Focus with about 35 very happy colleagues." -- FF head James Schamus on leading the studio nominations.
Those Who Prepared Speeches: Joe Wright, Atonement & Brad Bird, Ratatouille
"I think we were, as a team, very passionate about the film and story. I don't think we looked up from the little world we created around ourselves." "You need to make all actors feel loved, respected, and supported. That applies to the 12-year-old Saoirse Ronan or a slightly-older Vanessa Redgrave. Acting is an exposing and vulnerable job. You need to make them feel safe." -- Wright -- Extra props given for use of "slightly older."
"One of the messages of the film that most critics understood was that it wasn't anti-critic, but was saying if you're a critic or artist, don't get far away from what you love, and if, as a director, if you're focused on box office or awards and not the film itself, you'll take your eye off the ball." "And most importantly, this nomination shouldn't be taken as an endorsement for rats cooking our meals for us." -- Bird
Lads and Ladies with a Little Bit of Cockiness: Craig Zadan, Hairspray & Julie Taymor, Across the Universe
"It's so interesting that a couple of years ago we were accused of bringing the musical back with Chicago, and now you have this year with Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, and Across the Universe. There was no musical for so many years, and we're so proud of what Chicago has done for the musical." -- Zadan
"It's tremendous as we weren't on the pundits lists and didn't have big ads. I feel, in a way, that we were the engine that could. People vote from their heart, and I feel very gratified." -- Taymor
More About that Damned Strike: Piven, again! & Russ Smith, Juno
"I don't know about whether or not I'll be attending because to be honest with you, I don't know a lot about the rules and limitations of what is happening. I need to look into it. Writers are kind of these unsung heroes... I hope they get what they deserve, and I'll do anything I can to help that." -- Piven
"Our hope is that there's gonna be some sort of dispensation. Every day we're hoping they work something out, but we'll have to see." -- Smith -- In other words: please end the strike, I want my big moment!!
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