Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Right now, geeks are having difficulty formulating their conflicted emotions about pics of a 15-year-old Dakota Fanning on the set of The Runaways, the 2010 girl-punker biopic. At times like this, I think the guttural proclamation, “Um, that’s racist like a robot!” will suffice. But yeah, Just Jared via Chud has posted a bevy of publicity-stunt pics of Fanning, as jail-bait lead-singer Cherie Currie, tangling around with Kristen Stewart, as leather-clad guitarist Joan Jett. Like a bearded Michael Musto, writer Devin Faraci predicts the movie could spark a fashion revolution amongst teen girls. I could see that happening. Maybe. I mean, the cover of Nylon magazine and exposure in Urban Outfitters is prob a lock. And Warped Tour would definitely be up for a lame “interactive” meet and greet. A new, recommended pic of Stewart, in a Stooges tee no less, after the jump…
You may have seen the 1987 Gary Goddard live action adaptation of Masters of the Universe starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella, but have you seen Bollywood He-Man? Chahiye He Man He Man from Nafrat Ki Aandhi was released in 1989. Watch a video clip after the jump.
College Humor has done it again, this time with a parody of West Side Story which takes on the story of the modern world of online dating. Twitter, Facebook, eVite and even Pandora, it is all covered in song . Web Side Story might be the best web musical since (LOL)Cats, or at least since Dr. Horrible. Watch the video after the jump.
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Scout Taylor-Compton Steps In As The Runaways’ New Lita Ford
Posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 by Russ Fischer
I was momentarily confused when I saw Variety reporting that Halloween’s Scout Taylor-Compton had been cast as Lita Ford in The Runaways. Because a couple of weeks ago, Alessandra Torresani was cast in the role. Variety mentions nothing of the fact that Taylor-Compton would be replacing another actress, but on June 9 Torresani was pretty clear with MTV: “We just closed everything…I’m playing Lita Ford,” she said. So what happened? Read More »
MGM has released the full trailer for Kevin Tancharoen’s remake of the Oscar-winning hit musical Fame. The movie follows a talented group of dancers, singers, actors, and artists over four years at the New York City High School of Performing Arts. I’m not a huge fan of big screen musicals. I tend to like the more cinematic contemporary films which escape the boundaries of the stagey Broadway set-ups, but Fame seems to stick close to the stage. Watch the trailer after the jump and leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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Bo Burnham and Judd Apatow’s Anti-High School Musical Wants Your Help
Posted on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly
A couple of weeks back I cried out for more info on Bo Burnham and Judd Apatow’s upcoming feature film collaboration, a high school musical that Burnham has pitched as an answer to… er… High School Musical. Last night, one of you answered my cry when @forceofelroy tweeted me the following:
@boburnham is asking twitter for help with ideas for his judd apatow high school musical.
That’s the stuff. So, after the break, my best attempt at sorting the chaff from the wheat. And there was, of course, a lot of chaff, and much of it revolved around bodily fluids.
I’m a child of the 20th century, so the electric guitar, an instrument with a vast range of expressive potential, is the voice of my life. Whether it’s the simple, rhythmic lines of John Lee Hooker or the dense, almost formless drones of Sunn O))), the guitar is the thing. So It Might Get Loud, the documentary that explores the history of the electric guitar through interviews with and performances by Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge, is something I very much want to see. In August, Sony Pictures Classics will oblige. For now, there’s a trailer. Read More »
The Weinstein Co have released the first movie trailer for Nine. Rob Marshall, who directed Chicago - winner of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, returns to the big screen with another classic Broadway production. The musical tells the story of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he prepares his latest picture and balances the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), a producer, a mistress (Penelope Cruz), a film star muse (Nicole Kidman), an American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Fergie), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), and his deceased mother (Sophia Loren).
The trailer shows off some of the bright vs. dark cinematography of Dion Beebe, the all-star ensemble cast and incredible choreographed musical sequences. I love the backlit silhouette imagery in the opening. Watch the trailer after the jump, and leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Christina Aguilera has signed on to make her live-action big screen debut in Steven Antin’s contemporary musical Burlesque for Screen Gems. Antin wrote the script, which was later revised by Erin Brockovich scribe Susannah Grant. No mention is made of Diablo Cody’s screenplay involvement in the Variety story, which makes me wonder if any of her contributions have made it to the final draft. Aguilera will play “an ambitious small-town girl with a big voice” who tries to escape a hollow past by performing in a neo-burlesque club in Los Angeles. The film hopes to be Moulin Rouge meets Cabaret, with established songs that will be updated and worked into dance numbers.
Antin has described neo-burlesque as “a contemporary take on the traditional burlesque that derived from vaudeville, with singing, dancing, comedy and more tease than striptease.” Antin’s sister Robin created the burlesque troupe The Pussycat Dolls in 1995. Burlesque is aiming to begin production in January 2010.
Terminator Salvation is gearing up to hit theaters in this summer, and director McG is beginning to add a bunch of potential projects to his plate: the already announced Terminator Salvation sequel, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Captain Nemo and an action/thriller titled Dead Spy Rising.
One more movie to add to the list is a big screen adaptation of the Broadway rock musical Spring Awakening. McG is in talks to develop the movie with the original books and lyrics writer Steven Sater. McG would also produce with his production company, Wonderland Sound and Vision. The project is not yet set up at any studio, but Warner Bros has a first-look at any of McG’s Wonderland projects.
The musical is based on the controversial 1891 German play of the same title, which was banned in Germany due to its portrayal of masturbation, abortion, rape and suicide. Set in late-nineteenth century Germany, the story follows a group of teenagers who are discovering the “inner and outer tumult of sexuality.” Winner of 8 Tony-Awards including Bst Musical 2007. After the jump, I’ve also included the official plot synopsis and the music video for the song “Bitch of Living” to give you a better idea of tghe tone and sound of the stage production.
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God Help the Girl is being billed as “a story set to music” and was written by Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian (ie. my favorite still-together band, to this day, even though many other folk seem to have forgotten them). Things on this project aren’t progressing in the typical order, however. While Stuart is still working on the movie script, he he’s not only recruited many of the cast but has also taken them into the studio to record the soundtrack album.
Matador will be releasing the album on June 23rd in the US, whereas Rough Trade will be giving it a UK bow a day earlier. Prior to this, the song Come Monday Night will be released as a single in May. Stuart Murdoch’s video introduction to the project is embedded in the second half of this post.
Harold Ramis Dishes On Groundhog Day Musical
Posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 by Devindra Hardawar
Groundhog Day is one of those films that just gets better every time I watch it, but I can honestly say that I’ve never imagined the time-skipping antics of Phil Connors as a musical. Apparently, acclaimed Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd) fancied the idea a few years ago, but nothing came of that. Now the MTV Movies blog is reporting that the musical is actually closer to reality than we think.
In a conversation with the film’s co-writer/director Harold Ramis, he mentioned that Danny Rubin, co-writer of Groundhog Day, is working on a book for a musical. On Sondheim’s potential involvement, he says the following:
Stephen Sondheim was asked what film he would turn into a musical and he said ‘Groundhog Day… And I said, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’ James Lapine, who directed a lot of Sondheim, actually contacted me and asked if I’d thought about a ‘Groundhog Day’ musical.
