Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
John's DVD Pick of the week (June 28th 2011)
Hey guys it is Tuesday again and it's time for my pick of the week. This week it's a small film that is better than all the wide releases this week its
Barney's Version
That's right The all star cast dramady about life and marriage is my pick this week. Other films out this week include Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch (the first film I reviewed for this blog), The modern day take on Beauty and The Beast called Beastly, The supernatural thriller Season Of The Witch, and the poorly visualized The Warrior's Way. Those three films I have not and will not see.
My vintage pick is: In honor of this week's release of Larry Crowne I'm recommending a previous collaboration of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, it's called Charlie Wilson's War. It's not the best film but it's still worth watching.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Megan Fox, John C. Reily to appear in Sacha Baron Coehn's Latest
Via The Hollywood Reporter
Megan Fox and John C. Reilly are making cameos in Paramount’s The Dictator, the latest Sacha Baron Cohen comedy currently in production in New York with Borat director Larry Charles at the helm.
The movie has been described as "the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed." Cohen is said to play dual roles of a goat herder and a deposed foreign ruler who gets lost in the U.S.
Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley and Jason Mantzoukas are also in the movie, set for release May 11, 2012.
The Fox and Reilly roles are being kept under wraps.
For Fox, the part continues her entry into the comedy world. The Transformers star, who is the only actress in the top 20 of Facebook fan pages with more than 21 million followers, has made a shift away from the action world, recently shooting the ensemble comedic drama Friends With Kids, directed by Jennifer Westfelt and starring Kristen Wiig and Adam Scott, and booking a role in Judd Apatow’s latest project, This Is Forty, which shoots this summer.
Reilly recently co-starred in the indie comedy Cedar Rapids and the Cannes drama We Need to Talk About Kevin, which is expected to be a player during Oscar season. The actor will be heard next year as part of the voice cast of Disney’s animated feature Wreck-It Ralph.
John's DVD Pick of the week (June 21st 2011)
Hey guys it's Tuesday therefor it's time to pick my dvd choice and this week is a small film that came out of Sundance this year it's
Cedar Rapids.
That's Right The Ed Helms comedy about a business trip is my pick this week. Other films this week include The Matt Damon Emily Blunt Sci-fi romance The Adjustment Bureau, the Liam Neeson action flick Unknown, The Channing Tatum epic The Eagle, the indie Happythankyoumoreplease, and the kid flick Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. The first and last two are worth rents and the other two are just poor excuses.
My vintage pick this week is in honor of this week's release of Bad Teacher I'm recommending a trio of films previously done by the cast of this film they are Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Gangs Of New York, and The Social Network, especially the last one because it's a huge masterpiece.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Penn Badgely to play Jeff Buckley
Getty Images
Penn Badgley, left, and Jeff Buckley
Via The Hollywood Reporter
The actor is set to headline "Greetings from Tim Buckley."
Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley will play singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley in the feature Greetings from Tim Buckley, which Dan Algrant is directing.
Written by Algrant, Emma Sheanshang and David Brendel, the film will tell the true story of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley’s 1991 appearance at his father’s tribute concert in St. Ann’s Church. Through a romance with a young woman working at the concert, he comes to understand the father who abandoned him and his cathartic performance launches his career
“In its purest form this is a father and son story, a rite of passage that is made possible by a romantic journey Jeff finds himself on. We see Jeff accepting who he is to become and laying to rest the ghost of his father while ultimately finding his voice. We had been searching well over a year for an actor that can come close to Jeff’s spirit while also having the serious musical chops required to authentically tell this story. Penn’s audition blew us away and we knew we found our star,” Smuggler Films' Patrick Milling Smith said in an officially announcing the casting on Monday.
The project will be produced by Smuggler Films, A-Z Prods. and Second Chance Prods. Producing are Milling Smith, John N. Hart and Fred Zollo. Exec producers are Brian Carmody, Jill Footlick and Ben Limberg.
our editor recommends
“In its purest form this is a father and son story, a rite of passage that is made possible by a romantic journey Jeff finds himself on. We see Jeff accepting who he is to become and laying to rest the ghost of his father while ultimately finding his voice. We had been searching well over a year for an actor that can come close to Jeff’s spirit while also having the serious musical chops required to authentically tell this story. Penn’s audition blew us away and we knew we found our star,” Smuggler Films' Patrick Milling Smith said in an officially announcing the casting on Monday.
The project will be produced by Smuggler Films, A-Z Prods. and Second Chance Prods. Producing are Milling Smith, John N. Hart and Fred Zollo. Exec producers are Brian Carmody, Jill Footlick and Ben Limberg.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Review: Green Lantern (**)
Overall I thought the first half was awful but got better in the second half. I hated the opening scene, and the credits scene was confusing.
Review: Mr. Popper's Penguins (**1/2)
Mr. Popper's Penguins is Jim Carrey's new movie. He plays a successful real estate agent who is divorced with two children (Madeline Carroll, Maxwell Perry Cotton.) One day he receives a penguin that his father put in his last testament. He can't accept it so he calls all animal and wildlife offices and cant take it either because of certain licenses. He asks for a crater to ship the penguin back to Antarctica. However the crater actually has four more penguins and he and his kids decides them to raise them in a winter wonderland. However an evil zookeeper (Clark Gregg) is on the run to get them.
The movie was starting out good but it went downhill halfway through the movie.
The movie was starting out good but it went downhill halfway through the movie.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Russell Crowe as Jor El?
According to Variety:
Ever since he agreed to oversee the franchise reboot of Superman, Christopher Nolan had been seeking a star for the role of Jor-El, Superman's biological father.
Nolan now has his man: Russell Crowe.
Crowe is in negotiations for the key role in "Man of Steel," which has Zack Snyder on board to direct for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Brit thesp Henry Cavill is set to play Superman. Warner Bros. declined to comment on the talks with Crowe.
Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Michael Shannon are already set for the pic. David Goyer penned the script and developed the story with Nolan, who has kept plot details under wraps, as usual.
Charles Roven will produce along with Emma Thomas, Nolan and Deborah Snyder. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips will exec produce for Legendary.
With production set to start next month, Jor-El was one of the last roles to cast, though they also are looking for a name to play Superman's biological mother.
Marlon Brando played the part of Jor-El in Richard Donner's 1978 rendition of "Superman." Other thesps who were pursued for the "Man of Steel" role included Sean Penn and Clive Owen.
Ever since he agreed to oversee the franchise reboot of Superman, Christopher Nolan had been seeking a star for the role of Jor-El, Superman's biological father.
Nolan now has his man: Russell Crowe.
Crowe is in negotiations for the key role in "Man of Steel," which has Zack Snyder on board to direct for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Brit thesp Henry Cavill is set to play Superman. Warner Bros. declined to comment on the talks with Crowe.
Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Michael Shannon are already set for the pic. David Goyer penned the script and developed the story with Nolan, who has kept plot details under wraps, as usual.
Charles Roven will produce along with Emma Thomas, Nolan and Deborah Snyder. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips will exec produce for Legendary.
With production set to start next month, Jor-El was one of the last roles to cast, though they also are looking for a name to play Superman's biological mother.
Marlon Brando played the part of Jor-El in Richard Donner's 1978 rendition of "Superman." Other thesps who were pursued for the "Man of Steel" role included Sean Penn and Clive Owen.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Quentin Tarantino's next film to be released next Christmas
Yes, his next film is due next Christmas, according to Collider:How cool is your family? For instance, if the new Quentin Tarantino movie opened on Christmas Day, would you have to ditch the folks for a couple hours, or could you bring them along? The Weinstein Company will put these family ties to the test with a December 25, 2012 release date for Django Unhcained [Box Office Mojo]. The supporting cast is mostly set: Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio are all on board or about to be barring any sticking points in negotiations. Much less certain is who will play Django, the freed slave taught the tricks of the trade by a German bounty hunter (Waltz) to liberate his wife from an evil plantation owner (DiCaprio). Will Smith was the early frontrunner, though a deal has not come easy. More recently, Idris Elba, Chris Tucker, and Jamie Foxx came up as possible Djangos. Showbiz 411 hears Foxx is the closest to the role, but all is heresay until it’s in the trades. Production is scheduled for later this summer or early fall — with the finish line in place, we’ll meet our Django soon enough.
Christmas Day is a Tuesday in 2012. As of this writing, Django Unchained has the holiday all to itself, but Hunter Killer, Life of Pi, The Lone Ranger, and This is Forty open the Friday before, December 21.
Academy Builds Surprise Into Best Picture Rules
Beverly Hills, CA – The governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted on Tuesday (6/14) to add a new twist to the 2011 Best Picture competition, and a new element of surprise to its annual nominations announcement. The Board voted to institute a system that will now produce anywhere between five and 10 nominees in the category. That number won’t be announced until the Best Picture nominees themselves are revealed at the January nominations announcement.
“With the help of PricewaterhouseCoopers, we’ve been looking not just at what happened over the past two years, but at what would have happened if we had been selecting 10 nominees for the past 10 years,” explained Academy President Tom Sherak, who noted that it was retiring Academy executive director Bruce Davis who recommended the change first to Sherak and incoming CEO Dawn Hudson and then to the governors.
During the period studied, the average percentage of first place votes received by the top vote-getting movie was 20.5. After much analysis by Academy officials, it was determined that 5% of first place votes should be the minimum in order to receive a nomination, resulting in a slate of anywhere from five to 10 movies.
“In studying the data, what stood out was that Academy members had regularly shown a strong admiration for more than five movies,” said Davis. “A Best Picture nomination should be an indication of extraordinary merit. If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn’t feel an obligation to round out the number.”
If this system had been in effect from 2001 to 2008 (before the expansion to a slate of 10), there would have been years that yielded 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 nominees.
The final round of voting for Best Picture will continue to employ the preferential system, regardless of the number of nominees, to ensure that the winning picture has the endorsement of more than half of the voters.
Other rules changes approved by the Board include:
In the animated feature film category, the need for the Board to vote to “activate” the category each year was eliminated, though a minimum number of eligible releases – eight – is still required for a competitive category. Additionally, the short films and feature animation branch recommended, and the Board approved, refinements to the number of possible nominees in the Animated Feature category. In any year in which eight to 12 animated features are released, either two or three of them may be nominated. When 13 to 15 films are released, a maximum of four may be nominated, and when 16 or more animated features are released, a maximum of five may be nominated.
In the visual effects category, the “bakeoff” at which the nominees are determined will expand from seven to 10 contenders. The increase in the number of participants is related to a change made last year in which the number of films nominated in the visual effects category was increased from three to five.
Previously, the Board approved changes to the documentary feature and documentary short category rules that now put those categories’ eligibility periods in line with the calendar year and thus with most other awards categories. The change means that for the 84th Awards cycle only, the eligibility period is more than 12 months; it is from September 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011.
Other modifications of the 84th Academy Awards rules include normal date changes and minor “housekeeping” changes.
Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors for approval.
The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
“With the help of PricewaterhouseCoopers, we’ve been looking not just at what happened over the past two years, but at what would have happened if we had been selecting 10 nominees for the past 10 years,” explained Academy President Tom Sherak, who noted that it was retiring Academy executive director Bruce Davis who recommended the change first to Sherak and incoming CEO Dawn Hudson and then to the governors.
During the period studied, the average percentage of first place votes received by the top vote-getting movie was 20.5. After much analysis by Academy officials, it was determined that 5% of first place votes should be the minimum in order to receive a nomination, resulting in a slate of anywhere from five to 10 movies.
“In studying the data, what stood out was that Academy members had regularly shown a strong admiration for more than five movies,” said Davis. “A Best Picture nomination should be an indication of extraordinary merit. If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn’t feel an obligation to round out the number.”
If this system had been in effect from 2001 to 2008 (before the expansion to a slate of 10), there would have been years that yielded 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 nominees.
The final round of voting for Best Picture will continue to employ the preferential system, regardless of the number of nominees, to ensure that the winning picture has the endorsement of more than half of the voters.
Other rules changes approved by the Board include:
In the animated feature film category, the need for the Board to vote to “activate” the category each year was eliminated, though a minimum number of eligible releases – eight – is still required for a competitive category. Additionally, the short films and feature animation branch recommended, and the Board approved, refinements to the number of possible nominees in the Animated Feature category. In any year in which eight to 12 animated features are released, either two or three of them may be nominated. When 13 to 15 films are released, a maximum of four may be nominated, and when 16 or more animated features are released, a maximum of five may be nominated.
In the visual effects category, the “bakeoff” at which the nominees are determined will expand from seven to 10 contenders. The increase in the number of participants is related to a change made last year in which the number of films nominated in the visual effects category was increased from three to five.
Previously, the Board approved changes to the documentary feature and documentary short category rules that now put those categories’ eligibility periods in line with the calendar year and thus with most other awards categories. The change means that for the 84th Awards cycle only, the eligibility period is more than 12 months; it is from September 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011.
Other modifications of the 84th Academy Awards rules include normal date changes and minor “housekeeping” changes.
Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors for approval.
The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
John's DVD Pick of the week (June 14th 2011)
Hey Everyone it's Tuesday therefore it's time for my pick of the week. This week is one of the most mediocre films iv'e ever seen. But it's better than other films out this week It's
Battle: Los Angeles.
That's right the alien tale about destroying Los Angeles is the pick this week. Other films this week include The Owen Wilson Comedy Hall Pass, the decent crime drama Kill The Irishman, and The horror take on Red Riding Hood.
My vintage pick is in honor of this week's release of Green Lantern, I'm recommending probably one of the greatest films of all time in my opinion and has the DC Comics connection, It's The Dark Knight, it's a film everyone will have to see once in their life.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Mini Bulk Reviews
I don't feel like writing full reviews so I'm writing mini reviews for films I missed writing about.
X Men: First Class (**)
In 1962, Charles Xavier (James Mcavoy) starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender), his best friend... and future archenemy. The plot and storyline are perfect, but there were arts of the film that were terrible.
The Hangover: Part II (**1/2)
Two years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.I thought it was the same movie, same characters, in a different place.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (**1/2)
Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. I went to see this in D-Box (which I'll write about in a future article.) But the film was just ok for me.
X Men: First Class (**)
In 1962, Charles Xavier (James Mcavoy) starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender), his best friend... and future archenemy. The plot and storyline are perfect, but there were arts of the film that were terrible.
The Hangover: Part II (**1/2)
Two years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.I thought it was the same movie, same characters, in a different place.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (**1/2)
Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. I went to see this in D-Box (which I'll write about in a future article.) But the film was just ok for me.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Jesse Eisenberg and Jake Gyllenhaal to star in Now You See Me.
The Hollywood Reporter has the details on what the talented young actor is doing with his new-found clout in the business:
Casting for Summit’s magic heist movie is heating up, with Jesse Eisenberg of Social Network fame in early talks to star in Now You See Me, Summit's heist movie being produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Louis Leterrier is directing.
Jake Gyllenhaal, who just starred in the Summit techno-thriller The Source Code, is being courted for another lead role.
See Me, per Summit, pits a crack FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists, who pull off a series of bank heists during their performances, showering the profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.
Thoughts?
Casting for Summit’s magic heist movie is heating up, with Jesse Eisenberg of Social Network fame in early talks to star in Now You See Me, Summit's heist movie being produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Louis Leterrier is directing.
Jake Gyllenhaal, who just starred in the Summit techno-thriller The Source Code, is being courted for another lead role.
See Me, per Summit, pits a crack FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists, who pull off a series of bank heists during their performances, showering the profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.
Thoughts?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
John's DVD Pick of the week (June 7th 2011)
Before I pick my film I just wanna say sorry for the lack of updates on the blog. School has kept me busy, but it's out for the summer. In the meantime all my top ten films are now available with my pick of the week it's
True Grit.
True Grit.
That's Right the Coen Brothers remake of the 1969 John Wayne film was my pick of the week. It was #8 on by best movies of last year. Other films out this week include The esamble cast The Company Men, Mike Leigh's Another Year, Adam Sandler's Just Go With It, and The James Cameron produced Sanctum.
My Vintage pick is: In honor of this week's release of Super 8 I'm recommending a trio of alien films that had involvement from J.J Abrams and Steven Spielberg. They are Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, ET, and Cloverfield. The first two are must sees and the other is not a strong recommendation, but still worth a try.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
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