will ferrell Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Razzies Nominate 'New Moon' and Sandra Bullock as Worst of 2009
Filed under: Awards », Newsstand »
What was the worst movie of 2009? According to the Razzie Award nominations, which were announced this morning, the five contenders for that title are G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, Old Dogs, Land of the Lost, Transformers: Rise of the Fallen and All About Steve. That last film also featured one of the worst actresses of 2009: Sandra Bullock, who has otherwise had a more honorable year with Best Actress wins at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards (and an expected Oscar nomination, to be announced tomorrow morning) for her dramatic turn in The Blind Side and a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for The Proposal. Her competition for the Razzie includes Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Sarah Jessica Parker and Megan Fox (for both Jennifer's Body and the Transformers sequel).Worst lead male performances of the year came from Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta and all three Jonas Brothers, who share a nomination for their eponymous 3-D concert film (did they not just appear as themselves?). The Jonas' are also up for the Razzie for Worst Screen Couple, where their challengers include Kristen Stewart and "EITHER Robert Pattinson OR Taylor Whatz-His-Fang." Twilight fans will be furious to learn Pattinson is up for Worst Supporting Actor and New Moon is nominated for Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel and Worst Screenplay, too. Surprisingly, the first film in the franchise avoided any nominations last year.
For this special 30th-anniversary year, the Razzies will also (dis)honor the worst of the past decade. Film nominees include Battlefield Earth, Freddy Got Fingered, Gigli, I Know Who Killed Me and the Guy Ritchie-directed Swept Away remake. Worst actor and actresses of the decade include Rob Schneider, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Madonna.
Check out a full list of nominees after the jump.
Could Conan O'Brien Become a Movie Star?
Filed under: Comedy », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom »
Now that Conan O'Brien's departure from NBC is official according to The Wall Street Journal, everyone is wondering just what he'll do next, especially as his deal may limit him from hosting his own talk show for a period of time. He'll undoubtedly pop up on a new network, and I wouldn't be surprised if he landed a nice little book deal. But could he become a movie star?
It was Adam Sandler who got me thinking about it. He appeared on O'Brien last night, and promised that O'Brien could have a spot making movies with him. Of course he came prepared with movie posters and pitches, and it was all one big joke which you can watch on Hulu if you like. Obviously O'Brien's comedic skills have always been in writing and improv, and we all love him for his zany, madcap antics. But we love a lot of comedians for the exact same reason, and the list of successful comedian-turned-actors is pretty long and illustrious. O'Brien's cameos on 30 Rock as Liz Lemon's boyfriend are terrifyingly normal, and suggest he has a lot more dramatic range than his talk show rivals (we don't need to name names) have.
Don't believe me? Refresh your memory by watching the clip:
Zach Galifianakis and Paul Rudd Explore 'Will'
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Paramount », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
It looks like Zach Galifianakis might be the newest member of the Judd Apatow club, as he and Paul Rudd liked having Dinner for Schmucks so much that they're going back for seconds. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rudd and Galifianakis are teaming up for Will. Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton are directing, and Adam McKay and Will Ferrell will produce under their Gary Sanchez shingle.Rudd will play an ordinary man (as always) who lives in a world where free will doesn't exist. The lives and destinies of every human being are scripted by scribes in Heaven. One day, Rudd's writer (Galifianakis) quits, leaving Rudd to go about his day unscripted. A magical journey of destiny and hidden potential unfolds. (Really, that's how THR describes it. No "and then his pants fall off" kind of thing.) It was scripted by Demetri Martin, so it may verge on quirky.
It's hard to praise the pairing of Galifianakis and Rudd without having seen Schmucks, but Rudd seems to play well off everyone and Galifinakis' sardonic style is begging for more movies. This could be a lot of fun, or it could be cloying and cute. Let's hope it's got some bite.
The Best of the Decade: Breakthroughs
Filed under: Fandom », Lists », Best/Worst »
After a month of Cinematical expertly digging through one genre after another and nailing down the best entries in each one during the last decade, it seemed like there was an important cache of contributions that might not get the recognition they deserved: breakthrough performances or films. Such a designation crosses the boundaries of genre, sometimes happens in a film less deserving of praise, or otherwise finds itself overlooked. But after poring over the list of so many thousands of movies made in the last ten years, I've put together a svelte collection of superlative contributions which I believe qualify as the breakthroughs of the decade.
(It should be noted that we aren't pretending that these actors and filmmakers never made movies before the ones we're celebrating here. Rather, these are the moments in their career that they crossed over and introduced themselves in a way that audiences could no longer ignore.)
Cinematical Presents: The 25 Lamest of 2009
Filed under: Fandom », Lists »
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We've arrived at the very end of 2009, which means it's finally time to unveil our hotly-anticipated 25 Hottest and Lamest lists of 2009. Tonight we conclude the festivities with our 25 Lamest of 2009 list, which includes a number of movie-related events (films, actors, actresses, trends, scenes) that we all thought were the hands-down lamest things to happen in Hollywood over the past 12 months. Joining us from the Cinematical staff for this year's lists are Eric D. Snider, William Goss, Monika Bartyzel, Dawn Taylor, Elisabeth Rappe, Jen Yamato, Erik Davis and Peter Hall. For those who missed last night's 25 Hottest of 2009 list, head over here to check that out. Enjoy!
25. Year One
Take the director of National Lampoon's Vacation and Caddyshack, the writer of Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, two writers from The Office, a cast that includes Jack Black, Michael Cera, Hank Azaria, David Cross, and Oliver Platt, and what do you get? One of the dullest comedies of year one, year two, or year 2009. -- ES
24. Rob Zombie
This rocker-auteur has only continued to prove how much of a fluke The Devil's Rejects was by re-crafting the origin story of Michael Myers into a tedious white-trash nightmare, by re-creating the sequel as a laughable psychodrama and then by having the gall to claim that the forthcoming DVD cut is the "real film" that fans really deserve. The only thing scary about these films is that Zombie clearly didn't think the fans deserved better the first two times around. But hey, anything to keep Mrs. Zombie on the payroll... -- WG
Cinematical Seven: Kids Movies That Won't Drive You Crazy
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Fandom », Family Films », Cinematical Seven »
Now that you have 10 more days until the main event, and the little rugrats are home on Christmas vacation, you have probably been buying (and watching) your fair share of kids' movies. The latest family flick to hit the shelves is G-Force, but don't worry - if you thought that I was about to suggest that movie as part of your family-friendly viewing, think again. But it did get me thinking back to the kids classics that I still watch and love to this day.
Now, I'm a tough audience for family films, because even as a kid I didn't watch that many of them. In most cases my parents just let me watch whatever I wanted, but don't let that scare you off my list. I may have had a varied movie upbringing, but occasionally some family-friendly flicks would make it into heavy rotation -- and if there is one thing about kids and movies, we know it's that they love to watch them over and over again, which brings me to today's Cinematical Seven. That's right; I've decided to put together a list of the kid's movies that (probably) won't drive you bonkers if you are forced to sit through multiple viewings. So if you have to spend the holidays with kid-friendly entertainment on a perpetual loop, here are my seven suggestions for kids movies that won't drive you crazy..
After the jump; my picks for kids flicks that you can watch again and again...
Will Ferrell's Oscar Role: The Simon Cowell Biopic
Filed under: Casting », RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy »
Having moved past lost dinosaurs, Will Ferrell wants to take on the biggest, modern dino of them all -- music mogul Simon Cowell. WENN reports that Ferrell's dream project is to play the American Idol judge in a feature film: "I would love to play Simon Cowell in a movie -- heck, I would love it. It would be my dream role." The actor drew similarities between Cowell and his previous character, one Ron Burgandy: "It wouldn't be that hard for me to play him because I see a lot of Ron Burgundy in Simon Cowell. Like Simon, Ron was the biggest thing on TV, loved himself -- they are like long-lost twin brothers separated at birth."
Then again, this is probably nothing more than news disregarding inflection and comedy. Ferrell followed the talk up with discussing how he'd prepare: "It would be fun getting into character as well. I would walk along the street and say, 'Hey, you're too fat to be a star,' or go to a concert and shout out to the artist, 'Never gonna happen.'" And directly to Mr. Cowell: "I could spend some time shadowing you. We could spend time in your mansion in high trousers and black, round-neck tees just being rude to people, it would be great."
The thing is -- I think I'd like to see this ... if Ferrell put aside his usual over-the-top quirk for a tone more like Stranger Than Fiction. But that's probably just me wanting to see more of that in any role. I think it's time to put down the uber-quirk and find some happy mellow comedy. Could being Simon Cowell return Will Ferrell to A-List, money-making form?
Isla Fisher Gets Involved With Princes and Life Coaches
Filed under: Comedy », Romance », Casting », Deals », Universal », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking »
You can't keep a spunky redhead down, even after she's confessed to being a shopaholic. After being unfairly painted as the poster child of conspicuous consumption, Isla Fisher has moved on and scored a one-two punch of comedies. Variety reports that Fisher has signed on to star and produce in Life Coach, and to star in an untitled romantic comedy for Universal.Life Coach is centers on a woman who hires a (shocker!) life coach to sort her life out. In a twist of twists, the life coach is more messed up than she is. On the outside, it looks like it could be a very typical girl comedy (wacky job, problematic boyfriend, credit card debt), but it is being co-produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy, and is being penned by Liz`Cackowski and Maggie Carrey. I think it might actually be a little more offbeat and more along the lines of Funny or Die, and not fall into a romantic comedy trap. An actual comedy starring a woman would be a nice thing to find outside of television's 30 Rock.
The same probably can't be said for Fisher's other gig at Universal. The untitled romantic comedy is based on a French script titled Un Jour mes princes viendront (Some Day My Princes Will Come). Universal wouldn't reveal the plotline, but I'm making the wild guess that it involves a girl looking for Prince Charming, or even more than one Prince Charming. The script is being penned by Audrey Wells, who has made a recent specialty of plots centered around individuals trying to decide to navigate love and life. But there's always the possibility of being surprised by a hearts-and-flowers script, so I'll refrain from criticizing and hope that both scripts offer an opportunity for Fisher to shine as a comedic talent.
Will Ferrell is an 'Oobermind'
Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Casting », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Hollywood has cooked up a new twist. This may not be in league with Javier Bardem being replaced by actress Carmen Maura in a gig, but it's still surprising. Variety reports that DreamWorks has lined up its voice talent for 2010's Oobermind -- Robert Downey Jr.'s lead baddie has been replaced by Will Ferrell, and he'll be joined by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill (not to mention Tina Fey, who signed on earlier).
The satire focuses on a big-noggined supervillain called Oobermind. He has defeated his hero rival Metro Man (Pitt), and finds post-hero-fighting life to be boring. So he creates a new superhero called Titan (Hill), to fight. Only this dude wants to be a bad guy as well, which forces Oobermind to switch sides himself. (Can you spot all the Venture Brothers similarities?) Fey, meanwhile, voices a reporter trying to keep up with the many superhero/villain changes.
Switching from Downey Jr. to Ferrell is sure to have a big impact on the film. You've got RDJ, who can be delightfully evil and would surely offer a textured and intriguing villain, and then Ferrell, who may have proved his range with gigs like Stranger Than Fiction, but still tends to offer that same blissed-out cluelessness that made him famous. DreamWorks is planning to release Oobermind in the fall of 2010, as part of a cinematic push to make up for Monsters vs. Aliens performance, but I wonder: Can Ferrell deliver the goods, and make up for Downey Jr.'s departure?
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?
Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams Reunite for 'Mission Impossible 4'
'Big Top Pee-Wee': The Original Benicio Del Toro Wolfman
Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 2/9
Watch This: Brilliant Oscar-Nominated Short 'Logorama'
Chris Nolan to Lead 'Superman' Reboot!?
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