rob reiner Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Color me not surprised, but still disappointed -- after raising the hopes of Ash fans everywhere at Comic Con, Sam Raimi is throwing his best hero back to that damned back burner with regards to an Evil Dead 4. In a discussion with MTV, he said that there was too much work needed for Drag Me to Hell, so "we never did it," and it's back on hold. Raimi swears he'll still do it, but at this rate, it'll just end up being Bubba Ho-Tep with Ash instead of Elvis. Someone needs to point a boom stick at Raimi's back side and get his arse in gear.

According to Variety, 50 Cent, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham (there's a trio that could kick anyone's ass) have signed on to star opposite Sam Riley in the English-language remake of 13 Tzameti. Film tells of a man who steals a mysterious package then watches it lead to all sorts of craziness. The film is currently shooting in and around NYC.

There is another face, however, that is heading for the shadows -- Rob Reiner. After picking up some Travel Writing, The Hollywood Reporter posts that he will direct a new film from Zoe Green called Book of Shadows. But the twist is -- this ain't no Charmed. Instead, it's pretty much a new Indiana Jones with adventure done romance-style. I'm not quite sure how this works, but a young man is on a quest to find this book to save the world, and "must embark on the perilous journey of first love and face many trials of maturity" to do so. ... Your guess is as good as mine!

Busy Friday in Hollywood -- here, let us catch you up:

-- While being on television didn't get the Sex and the City women strong cinematic careers, proving themselves in the feature film has got the casting ball rolling. Just the other day I posted how Kristin Davis was heading to a Couples Retreat, and now Samantha is getting her time to shine. Variety reports that Kim Cattrall is going to star in a new film called Miss January, from writer/director Keith Bearden. Unlike the success the actress earned after her early Mannequin days, her character is "a 1980s cinema siren who is now a 50-year-old single mother in the middle of a child custody battle." Will putting down the Manolos and picking up the kidlets get Cattrall some awards love?

-- Seems Summit it keen on keeping their Sex Drive on high, seeing as they've put that film's creators, Sean Anders and John Morris, in charge of a new comedy about -- and check out this morbid concept -- a dude who knocks up his one-night stand, then is forced to take care of the baby when the mother is killed in a car wreck. While you try to find the humor in that one ...

... this should certainly make you laugh: According to AICN, Brett Ratner is a lock to direct the new Conan film. Not sure why Ratner's the choice here (especially since this film's main character is a male full of muscles), but apparently the idea is to go back to square one and see if they can't franchise this sucker. I personally think Conan's a little too deep for The Brett, but I guess we'll see ...

Two things I enjoyed about Definitely, Maybe, which came out on DVD today: the cheesy jokes about New York City in the early '90s and the fact that it is a chick flick for guys. What I mean by the latter is that the movie seems targeted to females yet it caters more to the male viewer. It's basically a male fantasy: Ryan Reynolds tells the story of how he dated three beautiful women (played by Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz and Elizabeth Banks), one of whom he married and later divorced -- meaning he's now single again. And he also got a cute, precocious daughter (Abigail Breslin) out of the deal who becomes beneficial to him in his return to bachelorhood.

But then is it really a chick flick? I guess it is if you count romantic comedies in that grouping, though the genre has never necessarily been aligned with the term, nor vice versa. And in the age of Judd Apatow, it's more likely that any new romantic comedy is actually a guy movie. Do many men realize it's a movie for them, though? Probably not. Though chick flicks are typically movies primarily populated by women characters and/or a female protagonist (think Steel Magnolias), romance films not made by either Apatow or the Farrelly brothers may be thought of as being for the ladies, even if they feature a male lead, like Reynolds in Definitely, Maybe.

I'll admit I've always been confused about chick flicks as a term. I apparently enjoy many so-called chick flicks, including even (especially) Beaches. So, I may not be using the term correctly in this list. However, I am a guy and I know what guys want. So, I'm going to do this my way, and answer the following question: What other films may have been initially perceived by males as being made for chicks but which turned out to be more for them (us)?

You want to start a movie off right? Hire Morgan Freeman as your star and then open the flick with some smooth Freeman voice-over. In this particular case, the film doesn't really need the narration, but there's just something so comfortable about Mr. Freeman's vocal chords. So obviously we're off to the right foot here: The Bucket List stars the endlessly cool Morgan Freeman -- as well as the famously entertaining Jack Nicholson. Already this movie is entertaining by default ... but we have two more very important components to check on before we get rolling.

The director is Rob Reiner, a man who definitely knows how to make good movies -- even if he hasn't really done it in over a decade. And the screenwriter is a relative newcomer ... so that's where I choose to focus. After all, The Bucket List is a movie about two terminally ill cancer patients who decide to hit the road, travel the world, and check all the items off their "bucket list" before the reaper finally comes calling. In the hands of a hacky screenwriter, this movie could easily become Grumpy Old Men 3, complete with oh-so-hilarious profanity, a bunch of Viagra gags, and a tacked-on and completely unearned emotional "payoff."

So what a pleasant surprise it is to learn that A) The Bucket List is Mr. Reiner's most satisfying film in a very long time, B) Justin Zackham's canny screenplay avoids schmaltz and artifice at (almost) every turn, and C) that Freeman and Nicholson strike an on-screen chemistry that's simply joyous to behold. I knew I'd enjoy the leads, but the movie's got a few more assets than that...

Opening only in New York and Los Angeles on Christmas Day, Rob Reiner's The Bucket List has drawn a split decision from the critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes, though 65% of the "cream of the crop" really don't like it. (Look for Cinematical's review on Friday, when it opens wide.) Still, it's been a popular success, perhaps in part because it teams Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman for the first time, and perhaps because the premise has struck a chord.

If you've somehow missed the pervasive television ad campaign, Jack and Morgan play two cancer patients. Facing death, they decide to break out of the hospital and do all the crazy things they always meant to do before they -- dramatic pause -- kick the bucket. Cue choir singing uplifting song. My favorite line in the trailer comes when Morgan is skydiving and screaming at Jack: "I ... hate ... your ... guts!!"

My local paper, the Dallas Morning News, says that the movie is "leading more people to share their lists on the web." Because I'm a film lover and this is a movie site, naturally my thoughts lean in that direction. (Besides, there are several books on the subject.) If I was terminally ill, catching up with all the movies I always meant to see would not be at the top of my list, but I'd try and squeeze in as many as possible before the end credits rolled.

Of course, the idea is probably to get out into the great outdoors and skydive and travel and ski and river raft, but if you've done all those things, what movies would you want to see before you die? With so many to choose from, what would be your criteria? Would you stick with the classics, try some avant garde, explore documentaries, watch more world cinema, or try and keep up with Hollywood blockbusters? Please tell us in the comments section.

The Bucket List stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two terminally ill men who escape from a cancer ward determined to complete everything on their "Bucket List" -- a list of things to do before they "kick the bucket." The film, directed by Rob Reiner, was just named one of the Ten Best of the Year by the National Board of Review. Cinematical spoke with the film's screenwriter, Justin Zackham.

Cinematical: You sit down to write The Bucket List, do you ever dream that you're going to get Rob Reiner to direct, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman to star...

JZ: Of course not! I'd have to be an idiot! Not even close. I wrote it with Morgan Freeman's voice in mind, somehow thinking maybe I'd find a way to get it to him. But no, nothing like this.

Cinematical: And how did you get it to these huge names? What were the steps that brought this movie to the screen?

JZ: I went to film school at NYU. I did a TV pilot that I wrote and executive produced in New York with Paul Sorvino years ago. And then I came out here (Los Angeles) and was dicking around for a while. I made Going Greek, which was a very sort of crappy fraternity comedy that I did back in 2000. I wrote, produced, and directed, and that took so much out of me that I spent another couple years dicking around. And then I just sat down one day and wrote my own "Bucket List" just to kind of get my head organized. On that list was like "Get a movie made by a major studio, marry the perfect woman," all that kind of stuff. A lot of the stuff on there wound up in the movie. I had always fantasized about going to the Pyramids, the Great Wall, I've always been sort of obsessed with the whole notion of Everest. All those things were on it, and I just stuck it on a bulletin board.

About a year later, I just came up with this quote one day, a line that's actually in the film -- "You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you." Stuck that up on the bulletin board. And then another year went by before I had the idea "What about making this into a script?" And I thought if it were about me, at the time I was about 34, it wouldn't be that interesting. So I decided to make it about two guys who had lived a full life, and they only have a few months left, and suddenly there's a ticking clock, and the things that do have real importance, at least in their minds. The story really became about the one thing neither of these guys puts on their list but is the thing they most want. And that's a best friend. I have this ridiculous process, and I wrote the actual script really quickly, in about two weeks.

I live a ten minute walk from the Arclight Cinema in Los Angeles, easily one of the best movie theaters in the country. The American Film Institute hosts awesome screenings of new and classic films there weekly, and I try to see as many as I can. Just last week, I enjoyed the new Michael Douglas flick King of California, which was followed by an enlightening talk with the movie's writer and director -- Mike Cahill. Neat, right? But nothing could prepare me for the event that hit my inbox just now. Had I been a cartoon character, my bow tie would have spun around rapidly and smoke would have blasted out of my ears. Readers, if you live in Los Angeles -- KEEP OCTOBER 3RD FREE!

The AFI is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an almost unbelievably cool event. On October 3rd, they will screen eleven classic movies at the Arclight, all at the same time. But what truly sets this event apart are the people they've booked to host the screenings. Check this lineup out, and try to keep your jaw attached to your face: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, presented by Jack Nicholson. Spartacus, presented by Kirk Douglas. The Birds, presented by Tippi Hedren. The Sound of Music, presented by Julie Andrews. Bonnie and Clyde, presented by Warren Beatty. Rocky, presented by Sylvester Stallone. Star Wars, presented by George Lucas (settle down!). When Harry Met Sally, presented by Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal. Beauty and the Beast, presented by Angela Lansbury. The Shawshank Redemption, presented by Morgan Freeman. And Unforgiven, presented by Clint Eastwood. Um...wow. Just wow.

Here is the official site for the event. Tickets go on sale September 19th. which is this Wednesday. Tickets are $25, and include popcorn and soda. The first 100 people to show up for each screening get a 40th Anniversary AFI Book. Dress is "festive attire," all screenings begin at 7PM, and doors are at 5:30. For you non-Angelinos, which screening would you choose if you could go? And if you plan on attending, which one are you going to? I'll be at either Unforgiven or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for sure. Both movies are in my personal top ten, and where else am I going to be up close and personal with Jack Freaking Nicholson or Clint Freaking Eastwood? This is going to be a tough choice! See you there?

The band who made monumental music achievements with their amps that go to the rockin' number 11, is now reuniting to help save the world and fight climate change. Last the cinema world saw them, Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls were Catching Up with Marty DiBergi seven years ago. Since then, it appears that Nigel has been raising miniature race horses but can't find jockeys small enough to ride them, David's busy as a hip-hop producer/colon clinic head and Derek has been in rehab for his Internet addiction. Now they're re-teaming for a concert in London and a new short film that helped open up the Tribeca Film Fest, in a gala hosted by Al Gore.

Rob Reiner's new short is called, simply, Spinal Tap, and is part of a campaign called SOS/Live Earth. The new flick has DiBergi taking credit for the term "global warming," and the band discussing their dedication to charity work, which of course, includes campaigns to help ferrets by raising money to get them Caesar Salad. As if that wasn't enough for hard-core mockumentary and Tap fans, the group has a new single called Warmer Than Hell, which includes the lyrics: "The devil went to Devon, it felt like the fourth degree / He said, 'It it hot in here, or is it only me?'" Luckily, for all of us who aren't in Tribeca, we can see the film along with 8 others here starting today. And for you lucky buggers in London, Spinal Tap will perform in Wembley Stadium as part of the Live Earth concerts this July.

Note: Look for Cinematical's extensive coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival to begin real soon.

Wow, this is going to be hard for two reasons. On one hand I'll find it tough to rank my very favorite Stephen King movies because the ones I love ... I really love. On the other hand there's been a whole LOT of rotten King flicks churned out over the years -- and I actually like some of those, too! But as a lifelong King kook I think I'm able to separate the wheat from the chaff -- even if, yes it's true, I actually sort of enjoyed Tobe Hooper's The Mangler. (It's just so enjoyably stupid!) So with that I bring you my own personal picks for the best Stephen King adaptations yet (not counting TV shows, mini-series or short films).

Christine (1983) -- Yes, the book is better and sure, a few important things were monkeyed with on the way from page to screen, but there's so much I do like about John Carpenter's adaptation that it makes the speed bumps a lot easier to handle. From the filmmaker's creepy score to an excellent lead performance by Keith Gordon, the flick's just got an admirably bad-ass attitude. Stripped down to its essence, Christine is not much more than another "geek fights back" revenge-centric horror flick, but Carpenter makes the movie his own with a solid production design, a few excellent set pieces and a pace that moves at an appreciable clip. Plus that car is just so damn cool.

Pet Sematary (1989) -- Just about every hardcore horror geek I know holds Pet Sematary in pretty high regard, and just one visit with this bleak and unflinching piece of pulp horror will explain why. It's a remarkably grim and unapologetic tale of dead cats, cute kids and a patch of land that, well, it resurrects dead tissue is what it does. And if you've read even one "back from the dead" story, then you know they never end well. (Pet Sematary, both the book and the movie, packs one doozy of a dark denouement.) OK, so maybe Dale Midkiff and Denise Crosby aren't exactly the rock-solid thespians you'd want for a screenplay this devilishly mean-spirited, but the pair do what they can, plus they've got good ol' Fred Gwynne supplying background color by the bucketful. (And don't forget about poor sickly Zelda! Yuck.)

Carrie (1976) -- The very first (and arguably one of the very best) of the Stephen King movies, Carrie hit the screens courtesy of a young Brian De Palma, and the director pulled out a big bag of Hitchcockian tricks to bring the story to the silver screen. It's about a socially bankrupt young girl who tries to cobble together a normal social life ... much to the chagrin of some snotty she-bullies and a resoundingly devout lunatic of a mother. Some might say the flick takes a long while to get where it's going, but between the prom night finale and the graveside stinger, Carrie more than delivers its share of grisly goods. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie make it watchable all by themselves, but De Palma is the real star here. (OK, De Palma and a young, evil John Travolta.)

In what's sure to be a fabulous on-screen duo, Warner Bros. has decided to finance and distribute The Bucket List (which Martha told you about back in June, though at that time a studio was not yet involved), bringing Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman onboard to play the lead roles. Not for nothing, but I don't even need to know what the plot for this film will be -- just knowing these two old school pimps are starring is enough to guarantee my ass inside that theater on opening night.

And speaking of old school pimps, Rob Reiner will direct with folks eying a late October production start. In case you're wondering, pic will revolve around two men (Nicholson and Freeman) "who break out of a ward for terminal cancer patients and embark on a road trip, knocking items off a list of things they want to do before kicking the bucket." There's still no word on budget, but who cares -- I'll take a road-trip flick from these boys anytime, anywhere.