melanie griffith Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Oh, what might have been! Alison Lohman gives a terrific performance as the cursed loan officer Christine Brown in Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell, which opens tomorrow. If not for the vagaries of scheduling, though, Ellen Page would have played the lead role. Would Page have been any better? We'll never know, but she joins a long list that inspires thoughts of 'What if ...?'

Once upon a time, we might have seen Leslie Howard as the titular Frankenstein and Bela Lugosi as The Monster. Instead, Colin Clive played the good doctor, Boris Karloff got a jump-start on life, and the rest is horror history. Here are seven more recent examples of actors and actresses who were considered for key roles in great horror films ... and the ones who replaced them, listed in chronological order. [Disclaimer: Based on information provided on IMDb's "trivia" pages, so no guarantees on accuracy.] Better? Worse? You decide.

1. Melanie Griffith / Sissy Spacek (Carrie)

Even though she was in her mid-20s, Spacek looks so young and fragile as Carrie that it's difficult to imagine anyone else in the role. Griffith was 18 or 19 and already had made an impression in Night Moves, The Drowning Pool, and Smile when she auditioned to play the telekinetic high schooler. Conveying Carrie's complexities might have been beyond her still-developing skills at that point. The pic above, left, is from Joyride, released the following year.

Either someone drugged him or Luke Wilson is looking to get "in tight" (if you know what I mean) with Jessica Simpson, because the actor has reportedly joined the cast of Blonde Ambition, a "loose remake" of the 1988 film Working Girl. Yeah, so I guess when they decide to remake a fantastic movie with a horrific actress in the starring role, the safe terminology from here on out will be "loose remake." However, fact is the only thing loose about it is, well ... let's continue, shall we?

According to producer Justin Berfield, Blonde Ambition (wait, wasn't that what Madonna named one of her tours?) will indeed be Simpson's next film, and production is supposed to begin as early as November 27 in Shrevport, Louisiana. This will also mark Simpson's first leading role in a film, and she'll have pretty big shoes to fill seeing as Melanie Griffith scooped up an Oscar nomination for playing the same character. Oh, and if you think this thing can't get any worse, Andy Dick (who co-starred alongside Simpson in Employee of the Month) is in negotiations to play an "evil" secretary. (Man, what's next -- Rob Schneider signing on to play himself?) Story revolves around one woman's journey from the bottom to the top of a corporate empire. They're currently eying a summer release.

Sorry, but I have to ask: Does anyone think this will be any good?

[via Coming Soon]

Happy Labor Day! All year long, you've been working hard, meeting deadlines, filing reports, sending emails, crunching numbers and counting up those vacation days, while strategically placing them at certain times throughout the year in order to maximize their potential. Heck, you deserve a day off -- 24 hours of rest, relaxation and a whole lot of nothing.

My favorite kinds of movies to watch on Labor Day are those that remind me why this day is important in the first place -- ya know, why it matters. And, what a better way to do that then to throw in a package of tasty microwave popcorn, slide into those comfy slippers and settle down with a few of your favorite work-related flicks. So, on a day that's dedicated to the American working men and women, how about we celebrate not working by enjoying some of the following films:

Odds and ends from Tuesday:

• Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) has signed on to play a young Uma Thurman in Vadim Perelman's (aka 'the dude who allegedly threw his dining room chair at a writer') thriller In Bloom. Produced by 2929 Prods., pic focuses on a teenager (Wood) who witnesses a horrific high school shooting, only to discover just how deep those emotional scars really are when she finds her life is a complete mess 15 years later. Uma Thurman will play the older version of said woman.
• I don't know what's more horrifying: That there are plans to remake Working Girl or that Jessica Simpson is in talks to star in the role made famous by Melanie Griffith? Simpson's rep has confirmed the actress is interested, though it's just one of several scripts currently on her plate. With the success of films like The Devil Wears Prada, I can see why they would want to remake Working Girl. But, Jessica Simpson? Should she take the part, this would mark Simpson's first lead role in a major film.
• M. Night Shyamalan is so fed up over the fact people expect a certain type of film from him, the dude contemplated removing his name from Lady in the Water, as well as the big-screen adaptation of Life of Pi, though he is no longer associated with the latter. Says Shyamalan, "I'd love it if everyone could look at Lady In The Water as a lyrical parable, but there will be people that won't get it because they are coming at it with a certain lexicon of what to expect already in place." Actually, Mr. Shyamalan, all people expect out of you is a decent movie. If you could set your enormous ego aside and craft the kind of film we know you're capable of, you won't have to remove your name from the credits or complain to everyone and their mother. Yes, it's that simple.