vicky cristina barce... Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Beginning with the summer of Surf Ninjas and concluding with last year's Underdog, Vulture has compiled a list arguing that August movies generally blow. Sifting through the titles from the past fifteen years, it's hard to ignore their point. If Bushwhacked, Spawn and The Thirteenth Warrior don't convince you, how about Hollow Man? The Adventures of Pluto Nash? Anacondas?

August usually means a lot to America. It's big for vacationers. The sun comes out and everyone gets one last hurrah before the summer recedes for the year. So why would studios dump their worst movies at this time? Maybe it's just a coincidence, but either way, it's hard to say whether or not this August will break the trend. Swing Vote seems to confirm Vulture's dire prediction, but Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder will surely find some appreciative audiences. And we all know The Dark Knight will continue to make bank. However, before you start thinking that a turnaround is on the way, consider the third Mummy movie -- and, once again, Vulture might have something here: Variety has called it "cheeseball stuff." Could that be the codeword for "typical August movie"? It would seem so.

Well, Woody Allen's newest film might not be generating the same buzz as his sexy Spanish romp, Vicky Christina Barcelona, but Allen is still out pounding the pavement for his latest romantic comedy. In a conversation with Duane Dudek of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Allen confirmed that he has finally christened his latest film Whatever Works. The flick stars Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood in what has been described as a "May-December romance". In the interview with the Sentinel, Allen tells Dudek that the film will be a comedy, but, "a slightly different one for me. It's a blackish comedy." -- and if there is one guy who has earned the right to be a little bitter about romance, it's Allen.

When it comes to David, it should come as no surprise that Allen is thrilled with his choice of leading man; the two seem perfect for each other. Allen tells the Sentinel, "He's got a great thing of his own. He's got a great, what would you call it, sarcastic, sour or vitriolic, wonderful, wonderful, no nonsense sense of humor." But don't feel bad for co-star Evan Rachel Wood; Allen saved a little of the praise for his latest ingénue, saying he was "stunned at how great" Wood was, despite her only being 20. So feel free to fill in your own joke about Allen and young girls here, because after 16 years of Soon-Yee jokes, I have officially run out of material.

Whatever Works is slated for release in 2009.

[Thanks: Big Screen Little Screen]

Is it just me, or has famed director Woody Allen hit a rough patch with comedy over the last few years? Sure, his dramas are still bringing in good reviews, but it seems like his recent comedies just haven't worked with audiences like they used to -- and believe me, it pains me to say this considering I think he's one of the funniest people on the planet. The Bad and Ugly has posted some new on-set photos from Allen's latest (and yet to be titled) comedy starring Evan Rachel Wood and Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm). In the photos, everyone looks to be enjoying themselves, and while there is nothing earth shattering going on, it's nice to see Allen back at work in New York, after working the crowds at Cannes for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Like most of Allen's projects, not much is known about the story. Judging from what we've seen so far, it looks like Allen is going back to May-December romances and all the complications they can entail -- something the writer-director has plenty of real life experience with. But as much as I love the man, it has always been a bit of a struggle to overlook his somewhat 'lecherous leanings'. I know he has always had a thing for 'ingénues', but back in the day it was actresses like Diane Keaton and Dianne Wiest. These days, however, it's Scarlett Johansson and Evan Rachel Wood, and I'm not convinced that they even belong in the same category. Are you?