michael shannon Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Exclusive: 'The Missing Person' Poster Premiere
Filed under: Drama », Mystery & Suspense », Posters »
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Click image below to view full poster
Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for The Missing Person, a noir mystery from writer/director Noah Buschel that premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Michael Shannon (Oscar nominee for Revolutionary Road) stars as a detective hired to tail a man, only to find out that he's a missing person presumed dead after 9/11. The detective must then decide whether he should bring the man back to his old life against his will.
James Rocchi reviewed The Missing Person in Utah and had glowing words for the film: "It showcases a lurching, hunched, quietly lived-in performance by Shannon but offers more than just that performance. It has the knowing, humane touches of Paul Auster's brilliant urban fiction but still manages to rope in familiar crime genre characters like the rich widow, the collaborating cabbie, the wanted man, the ethical crimelord, the unethical businessman, the femme fatale and -- most importantly -- the sad-sack, mercenary-but-moral private eye."
The noir is slated to hit theaters on November 20. View the full poster by clicking the image below.
Gallery: 'The Missing Person' Poster
The Big Names Circling Hillcoat's 'Wettest County'
Filed under: Drama », Casting », RumorMonger »
Recently, I rejoiced about all of the upcoming projects that The Proposition and The Road director John Hillcoat's got brewing. But there's also another in turnaround that's getting new life. As The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz Blog reports, there's a whole slew of talent circling around the once-struggling The Wettest County in the World. Scarlett Johansson's name has been thrown around as well as one heck of a diverse mix of young male talent -- Ryan Gosling, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Shannon, and Paul Dano.Sorry, Shia, but I feel compelled to sing: "Which of these boys is not like the other?" If there's any chance of getting into one of those odd-man-out scenarios, this would be the one. i can't imagine they're all up for the same part (as there are 4 main gigs), but could he really compare to four actors who have proven themselves to be quite hardcore and skilled? I don't care how many big-box office films he's been in, there's a difference between money and impressive acting skills.
A period piece rife with Depression-era bootleggers, Wettest is a crime drama based on author Matt Bondurant's own grandfather and great-uncles. The trio were a moonshine-led criminal gang, and the film will follow them alongside a writer named Sherwood Anderson who's "on the trail of the bootlegging story" and researching the 1936 novel Kit Brandon.
I say drop the names who can't compare and go wild because this combination sounds almost perfect. (We wouldn't want another Appaloosa/Renee Zellweger scenario!) How 'bout you?
First Trailer for the Herzog/Lynch Film 'My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done'
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Trailers and Clips »
Hearing that Werner Herzog and David Lynch were teaming up for a guerrilla-style project back in 2008 sounded too weird to be true. Granted, the former would be directing while the latter would just produce and present, but still -- it's a merging that seems too epic for one small film. It might be epic, but if the trailer is any indication, it'll also be quite good. After the jump you can check out the first trailer for My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, which will premiere at TIFF next month.
Inspired by a true story, My Son focuses on an aspiring actor performing Sophocles, who then acts out the play by killing his mother. "The mystery unfolds in a series of flashbacks displaying the psychological destruction of the killer set off by an ill-fated white-water kayaking trip in a distant land." (Synopsis over at Collider.) I'm not sure how that all fits together -- a mystery about the why rather than the who of the killing -- but I can't say I care. I'm hooked.
That being said, must we still be presented with trailers boasting ridiculous voiceovers? It's quite apparent that there's a lot of goodness in My Son, and it doesn't really need the deep, somber voice explaining about the unexpected crime on a quiet street. It makes the whole thing sound ridiculous, rather than wholly intriguing with a cast that boasts Michael Shannon, Chloe Sevigny, Willem Dafoe, Brad Dourif, Michael Pena, Udo Kier, and the wonderful Grace Zabriskie.
Why The Runaways Biopic Could Rock
Filed under: Casting », Fandom »
Michael Shannon's scene-stealing performances over the years finally earned him a well-deserved Oscar nod for last year's supporting role in Revolutionary Road, Sam Mendes's exhausting ode to suburban ennui. Well, now he's about to kick out the jams in The Runaways, the biopic about the most cherry-bombin' girl group ever, the Runaways. The cast of The Runaways, as it stands now in any case, is a bit hard to wrap my mind around. Kristen Stewart is playing legendary guitarist Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning will somehow channel proto-riot grrrl lead singer Cherie Currie, and "Gossip Girl" Stella Maeve is rumored to be playing drummer Sandy West. (I'm waiting with bated breath to see who is going to take on Lita Ford and Jackie Fox!) It's not clear yet what Shannon's part in this you-go-girl flick will be, he will probably be acting creepy and/or crazy in an awesome way.
Will Arnett and Michael Shannon to Ride with Jonah Hex
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Horror », Casting », Warner Brothers », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Western »
Warner Bros' Jonah Hex gained some really interesting casting today (yes, realThe Hollywood Reporter casting, no April Fool's stuff). According to , Will Arnett and Michael Shannon are joining the cast, which already includes Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, and Megan Fox. Arnett will be playing a Union soldier named Lieutenant Grass who enlists Hex to kill Turnbull, Malkovich's Confederate voodoo practitioner. Per an old casting notice, Grass is a man who's blindsided by the dirty fighting style of his enemies, a man more interested in new styles of warfare than really understanding his enemy. The role isn't meant to be funny, so Arnett will be toning down his style. Even when he's funny, he's got a bit of the creep about him (no offense, Mr. Arnett) which seems perfect for Jonah Hex, where everyone is a little ... off.
Shannon, fresh off his Oscar nomination, will be playing Doc Cross Williams, the bizarre ringleader of a brutal gladiator / circus event. Williams' is one of Hex's recurring nemesis in the series, whose finest achievement is making Wild Bill Hickok into a zombie. THR says he's likely to appear in sequels which is the first time anyone's mentioned a Jonah Hex franchise. While we're still a long ways away from being able to say "Hell yeah, bring it on", it's little touches like Wild Bill Hickok zombies that makes Jonah Hex such an enticing project.
My Quest to See All 5 Oscar Films in One Day
Filed under: Awards », Fandom », Exhibition », Oscar Watch »
Confession: I have been watching the Oscars for as long as I can remember but I have never, and I mean ever, managed to see all five best picture contenders before the ceremony. Embarrassing? Maybe. But this year I have made myself a promise. I'm going to see all five films before the winner is announced on Sunday. Lord knows I watch a lot of movies, so how did these five slip through the cracks? I don't want to point the finger, but I blame the Academy -- wait, hear me out. This was the year that I thought I was on top of my game. So like most of the civilized world I went to see The Dark Knight assuming that it was an Oscar lock (and how wrong I was). Then, I thought, hey, Revolutionary Road is bound for glory, right? I'll catch it early, but nope, other than an acting nod for Michael Shannon, I had managed to pick another dud.
Like most people, I have a job and a life outside of a movie theater (even though it doesn't seem that way sometimes), so there isn't always as many hours in the day to see all the movies I would like. I usually end up seeing the rest of the films after the awards season has long past. I have probably wasted a little more time than I should have watching films that didn't have a chance in hell of making it to the podium -- Thanks a lot Mr. Shyamalan.
Sundance Review: The Missing Person
Filed under: Drama », Sundance », Noir », Mystery & Suspense », Theatrical Reviews », Festival Reports », Oscar Watch », Sundance Reviews 2009 »
The Missing Person, playing at Sundance even as its star Michael Shannon earns an Oscar nomination for his work in Revolutionary Road, isn't merely a clever, cool spin on the classic private eye story, but it also works as a private eye story. It showcases a lurching, hunched, quietly lived-in performance by Shannon but offers more than just that performance. It has the knowing, humane touches of Paul Auster's brilliant urban fiction but still manages to rope in familiar crime genre characters like the rich widow, the collaborating cabbie, the wanted man, the ethical crimelord, the unethical businessman, the femme fatale and -- most importantly -- the sad-sack, mercenary-but-moral private eye.
John Rosow (Shannon) lives and works and drinks -- and does a far better job of the last thing in that list than the first two -- in a shabby office in Chicago. The phone rings. Get to the train station by 7, he's told. Board the Zephyr Express from Chicago to L.A.; there's a man to follow. An old friend in New York recommended him, and he's got the job if he wants it: "Five hundred dollars a day, plus expenses ... not including gin." After Miss Charlie (Amy Ryan) gives him the dossier of background and some cash, Rosow shaves, puts on a brown suit, goes to the train and takes the job. Because that's what a private eye does, as near as he can tell. And aside from the ringing phone being a cell, we could be in the 30's or the '40s or the '50s with the train and the gin and the cash and the job. But, of course, we're not.
Sundance Trailers: 'The Missing Person'
Filed under: Drama », Sundance », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
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The 25th annual Sundance Film Festival is finally upon us (opening night is this Thursday), and while we dig ourselves out from under piles upon piles of publicist emails, here's another trailer for a film that just made our extremely-selective 10 most anticipated list. Cinematical has a 10 most anticipated? Where? I didn't see it. That's because we haven't posted it yet -- look for the list to arrive tomorrow night. That said, The Missing Person stars Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan and Frank Wood, and it was written and directed by Noah Buschel.
Here's a snippet from the Sundance film guide description (more over here): "John Rosow is a private detective prone to sardonic wit, gin, and the endless repercussions of what happens when you mix the two. Powerful lawyer Drexler Hewitt wants Rosow to tail a mysterious middle-aged man who is traveling with a Mexican boy from Chicago to Los Angeles. Hewitt's loyal, stern assistant, Miss Charley, waits at the door with cash and instructions. But when Rosow hits Santa Monica, his objective changes: now he has to bring the man back to New York-for a cool half mil. Through his various dealings with an odd cast of characters-a cabdriver who knows his Catholic saints, a Segway-riding L.A. cop, meddling FBI agents, and femme fatales-Rosow begins to unravel the strange tale of the missing middle-aged man and learns something about himself along the way." Very cool modern-day noir caper -- check out the trailer below.
Review: Revolutionary Road
Filed under: Drama », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », New in Theaters », Dreamworks », Oscar Watch », Paramount Vantage »
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It's hard to ignore the Oscar polish involved in Revolutionary Road; an Oscar-winning director, Sam Mendes, reunites the stars of the Oscar-gobbling Titanic. To that end, Mendes does his best to make the film look serious and prestigious. And if you give it a cursory glance it's possible to come away with the impression that it is indeed a great and important film. But in truth, it's both relentlessly grim and nearly pointless.
It's "nearly" pointless because the subject matter -- that the suburbs have mutated and destroyed the American spirit -- has already been covered, many, many times in far better films, ranging from scary (Blue Velvet) to romantic (Far from Heaven) to funny (Edward Scissorhands). In a way, those outside genre elements helped keep the material from becoming overbearing. For Revolutionary Road, Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe have adapted a novel by Richard Yates, which was groundbreaking for its time; Yates wrote it in 1961 when polite society just didn't discuss such things as infidelity, ennui, drugs and booze and insanity. But Mendes creates a period picture and thus fails to justify why the material is still relevant in 2008, especially when this stuff has by now become its own movie subgenre. (Click on "Suburban Dysfunction" at allmovie.com.) The main factor for Mendes is that it's an "important novel." Never mind why -- or when.
Review: Shotgun Stories - Jeffrey's Take
Filed under: Drama », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », New in Theaters », Cinematical Indie »
A man sits on his bed in the half-light, shirtless. On his back is a series of little bumps, perhaps scars, possibly cigarette burns, or buckshot wounds? His co-workers at the fish hatchery take secret bets as to their origin. But for Son Hayes (Michael Shannon), they are part of a hurtful past, one that he is forever trying to get beyond. Son's name, as well as those of his brothers, Kid (Barlow Jacobs) and Boy (Douglas Ligon), no doubt came from their awful father, a kind of branding that they can never escape. We never meet this father. He dies at the beginning of Shotgun Stories. Son, Kid and Boy attend his funeral, and that's when the trouble starts. If not for that, life in this Arkansas small town probably would have gone on as always, with Kid sleeping in a tent in Son's backyard, with Boy living out of his van, and with the three of them getting together for beers. (There is a lot of beer drinking in this movie.)
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
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Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
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