Thursday, June 30, 2011

Uwe Boll on 'The Tree of Life', Among Others


At ScreenJunkies, Fred Topel spoke with Uwe Boll. Here's a clip:

I think Tree of Life is a piece of shit. Totally, and I think Sean Penn is ridiculous in it, like walking around in the elevator. It’s nothing. This is the thing. It’s so overrated because it’s Terrence Malick. Same as Lars von Trier’s movies. I like Breaking the Waves. After that was all crap.





The Music of 'Horrible Bosses'

Very nice featurette.






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Two New Clips from 'Terri'

Okay, this isn't really the kind of thing that will draw huge crowds at the theater but it could become a favorite rental.

Continue to be impressed.



Just works somehow. They found the right energy.






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'Horrible Bosses' B-Roll






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International Poster for 'Captain America'






























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Veena Sud talks 'The Killing' and David Carr on 'Page One: Inside the NYT'

The Business with Kim Masters






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Jason Bateman on 'Horrible Bosses'

Another good interview. Again, as others have mentioned, at 2:17 Bateman has sincere praise for the screenplay. They always say 'it was great' in junkets, but not often like this.






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Sound Editing and Design for 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'

Good stuff. Very nice featurette. Extremely hi-def video.


Soundworks Collection: The Sound of Transformers: Dark of the Moon from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.




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Jesse Eisenberg in a Clip from 'Holy Rollers'





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'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' Gets a Teaser Trailer

Classical, beautiful. Draws you in. Cast to die for: John Hurt, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth.

Directed by Tomas Alfredson who crafted 'Let The Right One In'.

Couldn't ask for more.






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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

David Carr and Brian Stelter with Charlie Rose

With Gay Talese. 'Page One: Inside the New York Times'. Segment starts just after 36:00.






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'Killer Elite' Poster

Totally, totally works.













































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Robert Knight -- God of Rock Photography

You know his work, listened to the music made by the people he's photographed. Here's a trailer for 'Rock Prophecies' about photographer Robert Knight.



An interview with Knight, the only photog at Led Zeppelin's first show:



The cover of Knight's book.





































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Seagull Steals GoPro Video Cam






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Jason Bateman Gives 100% Guarantee 'Horrible Bosses' is Funny

Jason Bateman -- "That movie is f-ing great."






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'Transformers: DotM' Review

These guys are pretty good. An easy 6 minutes. Lotta good points.






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'War Horse' Teaser Trailer





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'Horrible Bosses' Cast Interviews

It's worth noting that the quality of the script keeps getting mentioned. Colin Farrell said how it made him laugh several times, which is rare according to him, as after years of reading comedies he finds the writing is just 'not that funny'.

Aniston has very good things to say about the screenplay.



Again, here, Jason Bateman expresses sincere appreciation for the quality of the writing. Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day follow suit.



The interviewer seems genuinely impressed with the film. Good signs.

No interview with Jamie Foxx, though. Bummer. His scenes are my favorite. He's unreal funny. When he introduces himself to the guys it's pure gold.




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'Terri' Cast Interview

Jacob Wysocki just plain brings it, even in this interview.






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International Trailer for '30 Minutes or Less'

Different by just a few words and maybe a half second of footage, but much better than the US version.






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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Trailer for 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol'

A shaky bootleg went up a few days ago, but I couldn't very well post that.

Here's the real thing.








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More with Harrison Ford and Jon Favreau







More here



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Jon Favreau and Harrison Ford Talk...Movies







More




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Atmospheric Still From 'Don't be Afraid of the Dark'

































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Poster for '30 Minutes or Less' DOA

How did they manage to put together such a bleary and meaningless graphic for this movie. Trailers play with a lot of snap (especially the red band). Plot is kooky fun. This one sheet doesn't have that feel, doesn't convey any of it.

Total dead fish. Then again, how do you get all four main characters in one shot and give them something to do while making it understandable and compelling? There must be something better, but this might be as good as it gets, come to think of it.

No way. This can't be best. There has to be a better option.





























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Extended 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' Cast Interview

No new footage but good comments. These guys open up a lot more than is usual for these junket interviews. Several good moments. Worth 10 minutes.







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Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston talk 'Horrible Bosses'






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Kevin Spacey talks 'Horrible Bosses'

Very charming.






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Really Dumb or Really Smart


Just love this from AO Scott's assessment of 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon':

I can’t decide if this movie is so spectacularly, breathtakingly dumb as to induce stupidity in anyone who watches, or so brutally brilliant that it disarms all reason. What’s the difference?






Another 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Viral Vid





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'Scenes from the Suburbs' (Full Movie)

Directed by Spike Jonze. Music by Arcade Fire.







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Vanity Fair with Emma Stone


Coming in August, Vanity Fair with Emma Stone:

Emma Stone was running down a dark, eerie hallway covered with cobwebs and stuffed buffalo heads while wearing a white Venetian mask. Hollywood’s hottest up-and-coming ingénue was not filming a movie scene but spending a Saturday night on West 27th Street in New York’s old McKittrick Hotel at a show called Sleep No More, an alternative-theater production loosely based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth that involves putting on a mask and following actors from room to room as they pantomime scenes from the Scottish Play.




Spotlight on Optimus Prime


Juli Weiner interviews Optimus Prime for Vanity Fair:


The subtlest and most promising performance of the year belongs to a 28-foot-tall, 4.3-ton young actor from Cybertron named Optimus Prime. A slip of paper with a very pretty young woman’s number on it now also belongs to the hulking Transformers: Dark of the Moon star. The gorgeous redhead had wandered over a few minutes before from her chaise at the Chateau Marmont’s pool and dropped the note in front of Prime. “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings,” Prime said, unblinking. A magnet on a car key zoomed across the patio and stuck to his shoulder. Opposites attract.


Sounds like a nice guy.






'Fright Night' Character Posters

We get these in bunches. Usually, I only like one, maybe two. I like all of these, though. Just right. Perfect tone, everything else falls into place just so.

Nice.


















































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Monday, June 27, 2011

3 Clips from 'Don't be Afraid of the Dark'

Highly stylized, beautiful. Audiences are going to line up.


Don't be afraid of the dark - Come take a look... by teasertrailer


Don't be afraid of the dark - It's not safe for... by teasertrailer


Don't be afraid of the dark - There's a door in... by teasertrailer




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Edit a Scene/Movie, Win Fabulous Prizes

Vincent LaForet and Redrock are hosting a contest. Play video for details, cause...I'm just that lazy.


Laforet Edit Contest from creativeLIVE on Vimeo.





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One More 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' Trailer

I was pretty sure they couldn't get better. Was wrong. New footage, couple surprises.






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'Horrible Bosses' Red Band Trailer

When did they decide to make comedies funny? I didn't get that memo.

Wow. Made my day.

<a href='http://http%3A%2F%2Fmovies.msn.com%2Fmovies%2Fmovie-trailers%2F%23%2Fvideo%2F84727385-377b-4831-ae10-f438e79adc3f' target='_new' title='&#39;Horrible Bosses&#39; Trailer (Mature Audiences)' >Video: &#39;Horrible Bosses&#39; Trailer (Mature Audiences)</a>




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'Hot Coffee'

Tonight on HBO







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It's Jaw-Dropping. No, Really.




















From AICN's review of 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon':

...in this film – you’re going to see a dynamic to his action that is nothing short of jaw-dropping. I say “Jaw-Dropping” not with any sense of hyperbole – in the last hour of this film you’re going to see shit go down that will physically cause your jaw to drop. Hang open and perhaps end with a smile.




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First (Legit) Teaser for Pixar's 'Brave'






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Anne Hathaway with Harper's Bazaar


Anne Hathaway with Harper's Bazaar:

"In the grand scheme of things, I got to have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I met great people, wore beautiful clothes. And I got to put on a show. I don't see a downside. Anyone who disliked my personality probably disliked my personality before the Oscars."





'Footloose' Posters

Had not paid much attention to the 'Footloose' remake. Such products don't register with me. That is, not until I saw this poster:

Most bloggers hate that a remake is being done of this movie but above one sheet makes it pretty clear it's going to find its audience, and no, people old enough to have seen the first flick with Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer won't be targeted. I even feel like this will have a good story at its core. (Yes. I do get that from the poster, thank you very much). Back that up with good choreography and, bada-bing, you get one summer popcorn hit.

Above poster matches the original. It's got the same energy (well, the girl brings it, the guy not so much). Somebody in Marketing worked hard and it shows.




























Coming on the heels of the first poster, which was very solid -- classic, well-structured and cool -- the campaign is gaining steam. This one, hate it all you want, is going to rock the box office. With a budget of $25m, the profit margin will be too juicy not to make more like it. So, expect to get your hate on again real soon for 'Footloose 2: (INSERT CUTE, PREFERABLY RHYMING TITLE HERE)' and a slew of low-budget knock-offs.

Of course, you won't be able to see any of these movies at the theater. Tickets will not be sold to geezers, fogies, old farts, or basically anybody over 30. You can try sneaking in like we did when we were kids, but that's about your only hope.































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Buck Brannaman on The Late Show



Part 2
Part 3
Part 4




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'Super 8' Brings the Funnest, Busiest 7-Eleven Ever

I have never seen a 7-Eleven this hopping. What an adventure it must have been to shop there. I want to go back to 1979, be a kid again, live where these kids live, go to their school, and buy a bunch of crap at this store every day, (and discuss making movies and girls, but not which books the girls are reading cause who gives a rat's ass).






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Watch Captain America put his hat on then go Inside. Duh

Seriously, someone needs to watch for stuff like this. When in uniform the headwear (automatically, as a reflex) is removed when entering a building.



Let's leave that unfortunate business behind us and watch this featurette. Yay!!



Somebody please get this guy some donuts. He looks like he could use them. Hurry.































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New Trailer for '300'...um...I Mean 'Immortals'






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Sunday, June 26, 2011

'The Archiver'

Plotwise, not much going on, but it's serious eye-candy if you like sci-fi. This may be the first in a series. Will watch for more/the rest, or whatever.

The Archiver from Artfx on Vimeo.

Same Music Bad or Good Depending

When early trailers for 'Ironclad' rolled out most people liked the look of the medieval sword-slashing battle epic and it got good comments.



Sure. Why not like it? Looks like fun.

Then, when a later trailer came out featuring a throbbing rock soundtrack everyone hated the music and thought the movie might just suck.



Okay, that one's good too. The rock adds energy. I like it.

Comments ranged from concerned to negative.

Weird. Myself, I didn't even notice. Who cares what kind of music plays over a 13th century battle with swords, arrows, and trebuchets? Besides, do they expect lutes plucking and panflutes tooting? Who'd want to hear that? 'Ironclad' isn't a period drama that happens to include battle sequences, it's an action-thriller with hard-core combat scenes that takes place in the 13th century. What difference does it make that it's set before The Rolling Stones landed? Rock covers a battle sequence nicely, even one set in merry old England.

When the first 'Cowboys & Aliens' trailer hit everyone, as expected, loved it.



Sure. Why not like it? Looks like fun. Back in April, though, we got this, which isn't subtle about the rock intro:



The anachronistic soundtrack was hardly noticed. In fact, the only comment I was able to find was positive. Movieline said:

The vibe in this trailer is energetic, fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek, even - and if the rollicking music heard here is any indication of the final film, Cowboys & Aliens could have a very mainstream-friendly, Pirates of the Caribbean-type appeal.

Now, we get a new trailer with music that, if anything, is even more throbbing, hard hitting. Still no protests. Is it that rock music in a medieval battle scene is more grating, or just seems more wrong, than the same type music in a western because one takes place in the 13th century, like 700 or 800 years before the advent of rock and the other takes place in the 1700s and early 1800s, which was just a few years ago by comparison? (Sure, that makes sense). Just how is one more anachronistic than the other? Or, is it that we understand Jon Favreau loves hard-rocking soundtracks, and this is the guy that gave us all that 'Iron Man' goodness, so nobody says anything for fear of disturbing the Favreau-ness of it all?

It's a funny thing. I remember 'A Knight's Tale' got ripped for using a rock soundtrack and that's a medieval setting as well. Go figure.



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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Friday, June 24, 2011

More Good Neighbors

We got a clip earlier. Here's another.


And one more.



And, if you're still here, a featurette.






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The Love/Hate Continues for 'Bad Teacher'

I don't know. I'll watch a trailer for 'Bad Teacher' and think, 'that's funny as hell' one second and, 'man, there's no way this material will play' the next. I'm hoping it will be good. I want it to be good. It looks good...kinda, mostly. There's a definite squirm factor here.


If this one hits it would make for two bad-girl comedies in a row coming after the rauch-fest 'Bridesmaids'. A move in the right direction to be sure. At least, I think so. I'm so tired of candy-ass girly comedies that flirt with funny but are too scared to cross the line (or even toe the line) of political incorrectness, as if that would be too unladylike to consider. Comedies with central characters which are male go there. They don't just cross the line they stomp it into the dirt and dance on the other side. Movies with female characters, by and large, at least in the past, have daintily sidestepped such controversy. The comedy falls flat, is too safe, boring, and often the movie gets anemic box office as a result which, in turn, gives rise to protests of bias against movies with female leads.


Aren't we passed that? I'm thinking we are, or should be. Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and crew were. Looks like the folks that made 'Bad Teacher' were, as well. However, the film's edgy sensibility is drawing fire.


Karina Longworth (a woman, it should be noted) contends Diaz's portrayal is a step backward for movies with female leads, saying in her write up 'Bad Teacher and the Downside of Equal Rights in Hollywood':

The general argument holds that because studios produce so few films built around strong lady protagonists, Hollywood must hate women. But be careful what you wish for. Here, a “strong woman” means a lazy, lying, scheming, slutty, and obstinately materialistic one, whose sole redeeming virtue is her hard body (which the camera shamelessly ogles, as if the men watching need their hand held to look at an actress’s ass), who is so delusional that she thinks her ostentatious assholery is rock-star sexy, and whose delusions are essentially validated by narrative resolution.

Diaz's character, a middle school teacher, drinks (at work), sleeps it off (at work), drops the f-bomb (at work), calls her students stupid to their faces, etc. Behavior that would get you fired. The world the movie inhabits is too preposterous (and offensive) to accept. And, that's the point. 'Bad Teacher' is once removed from reality. It lives in a space that allows its protagonist the freedom needed to behave in an impossibly outrageous manner which, in turn, provides the foundation needed for comedy to breathe.


Kofi Outlaw at ScreenRant decodes the problematic premise:

The first question you should probably ask yourself is whether or not the premise of Bad Teacher is something you can even accept. If you’re the type of person to be easily offended by the idea of a teacher abusing the education system and her students -- or the type to get stuck on the question of how a person with few scruples and no morals gets hired as a middle school teacher in the first place, then this film will be impossible for you to enjoy.

That established, he continues:

This sort of “quest” structure allows Bad Teacher to do the only thing it does well: treat viewers to a collection of segments in which the cast is able to get zany and over-the-top in their delivery of the funny. Each of the characters is seriously strange, and the movie has a lot more “WTF?” type laughs than “LMAO!” type laughs.

Seems just about right to me. 'Bad Teacher' looks very 'WTF'. Totally.


Roger Ebert did not like it but for reasons that are both confusing and yet fall in line with some reviewer's comments:

"Bad Teacher" immediately brings "Bad Santa" to mind and suffers by the comparison. Its bad person is neither bad enough or likable enough. The transgressions of Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) are more or less what you'd expect, but what's surprising is that she's so nasty and unpleasant. Billy Bob Thornton, as the Bad Santa, was more outrageously offensive and yet more redeemed by his desperation. He was bad for urgent reasons. Elizabeth seems bad merely as a greedy lifestyle choice.

My favorite assessment comes, surprisingly, from Manohla Dargis (another woman, it should be noted). Don't know why, but I just thought she wouldn't like the film. She says:

In “Bad Teacher,” a breezily crude comedy about unladylike pleasures like guzzling booze, swearing at children and being mean because, well, you can be, Cameron Diaz taps into her inner thug. It’s a beautiful thing. A performer with a gift for light comedy and a comically ductile face that can work in fascinating counterpart to her rocking hot body (as her character would say), Ms. Diaz has found her down-and-dirty element in the kind of broad comedy that threatens to get ugly and more or less succeeds on that threat.

If you can accept that the elementary school setting is a comedic platform not to be taken seriously, the offensive behavior of the character (an emotionally shattered woman who was just dumped by her sugar-daddy fiancé who has to scramble to secure a new meal ticket by any means necessary) might seem funnier. On the other hand, if you're offended by the premise you shouldn't see the movie.

But, for some, setting and character may be so closely intertwined that the fact that one is clearly farcical does not nullify the shocking reality of the other, and the result is they take offense. For those people having the story unfold in an elementary school makes the character's behavior unpalatable even though it seems funny and they want to laugh. Diaz's character's criminal lack of regard for others would be funny, way funny, if it occurred in any place other than an elementary school.

I'll hazard a guess that's probably why there's such a split in the opinions of reviewers. Some like the movie for its raunchiness, some hate the movie because of its raunchiness. It's a matter of perspective.

'Bad Teacher' may be good, or bad. It may have script issues, or it could be brilliant. But, at least they went there. They tried. They had the balls to execute edgy material in a movie with a female lead and not play it safe. For that I'm glad. We need more movies with smart, funny women. Like those gals in 'Bridesmaids' (I think someone called them "smart and funny"). If 'Bad Teacher' helps pave the way, that's a victory.






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Clip from 'Good Neighbors'

Instead of a natural rhythm and flow, this plays with a forced precision. Not necessarily a bad thing, if it's handled right. But, I don't want to get 30 or 40 minutes into the flick to discover it wasn't.

Still, my kind of movie. Complex, with misdirection. Very Hitchcock.



Here's a trailer, which plays enticing and off-putting in equal parts, which may or may not be by design. Kind of a gamble, this one.






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Transformers: Dark of the Moon Featurette






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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Wimpy Wimpy Americans


It's not a new trend and bloggers have been typing up their observations about it for a while, but I noticed the leads in 'The Killer Elite' (Jason Statham, Clive Owen) are British, while the sole American, Robert De Niro, is (or seems to be) playing a secondary (but perhaps not supporting) role. So, is this another flick where there were no Americans tough enough to step up and take the lead? Sure, the action is set in another country but, still, it's a bit glaring. And the trend continues to firm up.


'Cowboys & Aliens' has the same setup with Daniel Craig (again, British) in the lead and Harrison Ford playing a secondary role.

Make no mistake. Ford and De Niro represent masculinity pretty well. We know that. Raging Bull, Air Force One, all that stuff. We get it, loved it. But, they're not young men anymore. And now we're getting to the core of the issue.

Young American men are getting more and more scarce in Hollywood action movies. Is it something in the water that makes young guys in this country so damn...um...delicate?

Why do we have to look to other countries where they speak English to find our leading men? We turned to Russell Crowe (from New Zealand) to man up for the action thriller 'The Next Three Days'. He's seen next in big guy roles in 'The Man with the Iron Fists' (like an American sissy boy guy could ever carry a role in a movie with a title like that), and is in the running to play the father of one of the toughest men, Superman.


Of course, the example that carries the most sting is 'The Dark Knight' directed by Christopher Nolan (England, wouldn't you know). With Heath Ledger (an Aussie) as The Joker and Christian Bale (from Wales) playing one of the most iconic of American figures that we all grew up with and loved -- Batman. No Americans guys around with enough fortitude to fill those shoes, I guess. Nice. Great. Just great.

It gets worse. 'The Dark Knight Rises' stars Bale again, naturally. Gary Oldman (England) returns as Commissioner Gordon (was he British?), and Liam Neeson (Ireland), a man's man who is coming off leads in action flicks like 'Taken' 'The A-Team' 'Unknown' and the upcoming 'The Grey' (also starring the rugged Joe Anderson who is from, that's right, England), plays Ra's al Ghul.

Of course, Michael Caine (very British) is back as Batman's butler, Alfred. I guess he's okay, though, as a butler should be British. But still, that's a lot of Britons and such pulling down leads in a corn-fed all-American action thriller.

Then there's that American comic book superhero 'Thor'. Okay, okay. I know. He's a Norse God, but we know of him, a Hollywood movie was made featuring him, because of the all-American Marvel Comics in which he appeared that were read by boys in this country for decades. The movie would have been a much tougher sell if we only knew of Thor from studying mythology in college. So, thanks to comic books, Thor = American. Here's a look at some of the he-man actors from the movie and where they were born:

Sturdy Chris Hemsworth -- (Thor) Australia (and because there's a shortage of American tough guys, he'll be taking the lead in the action flick 'Red Dawn', thank you very much USA pretty boys).

Trim and fit Tom Hiddleston (Loki) -- England. Because of the dearth of macho American leads he'll be playing a captain in 'War Horse'.

Ever virile Anthony Hopkins (Odin) -- Wales.

The challenging Stellan Skarsgard -- Sweden.

The penetrating Kenneth Branagh directed -- he's from Ireland, where men are men.

Buffed up Ray Stevenson (Ireland).

Colm Feore (Boston). Sorry, guess that's a good ole American city, but he has lived in Canada for the last 40 years -- maybe that's why he got the part.

Whew. That's hard to take. I'm thirsty. I need some water. Better get a brand bottled in another country lest I dainty up to the point of no return.


Oh, wait! This just in! Guess what. Tough as nails Idris Elba who is/was up for a lead in 'Django Unchained' (A Western. Nothing gets more American than that. Nothing), who also just wrapped the smash 'em up 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance', and is filming 'Prometheus' -- an action/horror -- has just secured a lead in the action movie 'Pacific Rim'. Is he American? Please. The man was born in England, nursery and country of origin for rough and tumble brawny guys who will grow up to star in Hollywood movies when the part calls for a stout fellow and no American guys can be found because they're at the salon for treatments or a manicure or maybe to get their eyebrows plucked, or perhaps just getting some beauty sleep.

The movie, about giant robots piloted by humans that fight alien invaders, also stars Charlie Hunnam (England), and is directed by Guillermo del Toro (Mexico).

Ouch. Where's that non-American water?




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New 'Captain America' Trailer





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Clip from 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'







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Terra Nova PSA














































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'L'Equip Petit' (The Little Team)

Can't beat this.


l'equip petit from el cangrejo on Vimeo.




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Morning Coffee Short Film


Chute (Fall) from Mathias Lachal on Vimeo.



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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

'Girlfriend' Poster and Trailer

So much potential. Very much look forward to this.

GIRLFRIEND new trailer from Justin Lerner on Vimeo.

This poster is perfect.










































"GIRLFRIEND is exactly the kind of brave little film one goes to a festival hoping to find. It’s memorable and moving – an unexpected backyard treasure with an irresistible star."

-- Janice Page, THE BOSTON GLOBE

Written and directed by Justin Lerner. Here's his site.



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Mike Mills Talks 'Beginners' with Elvis Mitchell on The Treatment





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'Dear Woman'





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Slate Crew Talks 'Page One: Inside the NYT'

Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss 'Page One: Inside the New York Times' on their podcast. (45 minutes. 'Page One' review starts at beginning).

Here's a hint: "It was so disappointing"


















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Friends with Benefits, Biel, Shooting Sex Scenes, etc


Yeah, that's how I relax on a Sunday afternoon.

Vanity Fair with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis:

Gluck, who calls Timberlake “fiercely normal, in a good way,” gave the duo a choice: they could film their sex scenes, which feature graphic acts in which one or the other’s head is under the sheets, at either the beginning or the end of production. They chose the last possible moment. “We figured that by then we’d really, hopefully, be friends, which is what happened,” says Kunis. “It’s always uncomfortable to do those scenes—it doesn’t matter if it’s with a same-sex partner or opposite-sex partner,” she says, referring to her lesbian scenes with Natalie Portman in Black Swan. “You have to be in these crazy positions for 12 to 16 hours. I’ll never forget when Justin had to be on top of me with his right hand on my left pasty and his left hand on my right pasty—my feet were getting numb, and I think his hands were giving out on him. It was a workout.”



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'Killer Elite' Trailer

'Based on a true story'? Huh? Whatev, who cares. Robert De Niro back in tough guy mode. With Jason Statham and Clive Owen. Yes. Oh, yes. Yes yes yes. Thank you dear lord for movies like this.

Trailer rocks. Rocks you like a hurricane. (No, I'm not that cheesy. Watch it, you'll see what I mean).




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'Horrible Bosses' Clip




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Creepy Eyes

The 'human eyes' effects by Weta are the most off-putting thing about 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'. They have an insidious look, even in the shot below, where the chimp is emoting love and concern for the man.

Couldn't watch this at the theater. Thirty-foot tall ape faces aping those awful fake/weird looking humanoid eyes at me for two hours would be too much. (Thank god this isn't in 3D. People would run.)

Plain ole ick.
























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Trailer for 'Rusted Pyre' Short Film

Winner of the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition which funded production.

Great visuals catch you off guard. Genuinely creepy, good reveals. May be the foundation for a feature. Good stuff.















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'Dirty Girl' Poster

Just right. 'Let them talk' tag works. With Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen, and Dwight Yoakam. Should be good.

Um, do her fingers form the letter "C" for a reason?














































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'Don't be Afraid of the Dark' Poster

Even more effective than the last one. We're getting a theme here -- the girl starts at top of stairs, then comes down (with camera), then...what happens next. Great concept for a series of posters.

My only criticism is the boilerplate text over image of girl should be moved down (and not sure why the shadow of the banister is included. Doesn't contribute and interferes with the ghoul arms). Otherwise, creepy with a sense of character and plot throughline. Nice.




















































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Re-cut Trailer for '30 Minutes or Less'

Love it. How could it look this good.





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Super Duper Cheesy Poster for 'Abduction'

Wow. That's bad. I actually laughed when I saw this. So bad.






























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Chimp Plays Video Game





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'Beginners' Featurette -- Cosmo the Dog

A lot of sincerity here. Feels like they have a good story. Had not thought I'd be interested but will catch 'Beginners'.





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Trailer for 'Bobby Fischer Against the World'

























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Japanese Trailer for 'Real Steel'

You can tell what's important to the Japanese. Both voice over and edit emphasize story and character. And, it works. Flick plays moving, makes you root for the good guy.

Much better than the American version, which was all glitzy tech, hammy enthusiasm, and unnecessary dialogue -- it came off as schtick.

I'm thinking DreamWorks may have been influenced by the success of heartfelt 'Super 8' clips and trailers. Good move.





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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Bad Behavior in 'Bad Teacher'


Karina Longworth takes a look at 'Bad Teacher' and the implications it carries for (female) actors in Hollywood:

The general argument holds that because studios produce so few films built around strong lady protagonists, Hollywood must hate women. But be careful what you wish for. Here, a “strong woman” means a lazy, lying, scheming, slutty, and obstinately materialistic one, whose sole redeeming virtue is her hard body (which the camera shamelessly ogles, as if the men watching need their hand held to look at an actress’s ass), who is so delusional that she thinks her ostentatious assholery is rock-star sexy, and whose delusions are essentially validated by narrative resolution.





Prequel Teaser Trailer for 'The Troll Hunter'






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'Mosquito'

Totally state of the art. Great sync with the music. By Alvaro Mendoza.


Mosquito from Amprods on Vimeo.








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Cosmic Imagery from 'The Tree of Life'





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New Poster for 'Cowboys & Aliens'

Just gets better and better.

Like the 'First contact. Last stand.' tagline. Nice blend of Area 51 and Old West motifs.

Director Andrew Rossi and Reporter David Carr Talk 'Page One: Inside the New York Times'





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Trailer for Director's Cut of 'Das Boot' Will Make Your Day

Must see.





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New 'Immortals' Character Posters

There's more. I like this one. Mickey Rourke...gotta see.

Drop Dead Trailer for 'A Dangerous Method'

From David Cronenberg no less. Stunning trailer. Could not look forward to a movie more than this. Wow.





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The Business with Kim Masters

Monday, June 20, 2011

'The Muppets' Trailer

You can just tell this will be a hit.

Idea for a Movie

Illustration by James Yamasaki for The Stranger

I'm reading this guy's account, 'Bellhop Confidential' in the Seattle weekly The Stranger, of being a bellhop at one of Seattle's boutique hotels and thinking, 'This sounds like voice-over in the beginning of a movie'. Here's a bit of it:

...there were the guests who were just so high-voltage that a palpable current of electricity surrounded their arrival, their departure, and every request they made in between. Some of these über-celebrities were bundled in through the unmarked entrance in the back alley, hustled past the tiny Filipino women in the laundry room and the gamey rows of employee lockers. John Popper of Blues Traveler fame came in the front door like everybody else. Elton John? The back. The B-52s? The front. Tom Cruise? Definitely the back. And then there was Britney.

I can just see the steady-cam tracking shot now.

For the movie rights contact Ben Bishop. I'm sure it'll be a hit.



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'Praha'ndante' -- A Meditation Shot in Prague

Just beautiful. Nice work. A 5-minute vacation in the Czech Republic.


Praha'ndante from Vitùc on Vimeo.





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