Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Movie Review: Visioneers Starring Zach Galifianakis (Man Vs. Office Culture Continues)
Posted on Friday, July 3rd, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
Thirty minutes into Visioneers—a high concept indie dramedy that is, well, brand new to the public—I was consumed by the thought that I, most likely, will never see the movie for sale in a really choice record store. (Don’t worry, this movie review will not serve as a wistful rant on the music industry courtesy of a wannabe Nick Hornby or Chuck Klosterman.) The realization got me down for a half-a-second. Nevertheless, calling Visioneers a “prized would-be staple of the ‘choice record store movie genre’” is a tidy complement that sums up how I feel about it.
In the mid/late ‘90s and early ‘00s, one could find a softly-curated section of DVDs in many independent record stores. Browsing the small selection was a welcome, habitual cool-down after hours spent listening to and considering albums. Generally, the selection amounted to: concert films like Ziggy Stardust, The Show, and Bill Hicks Live. Drug movies like Easy Rider and Neco z Alenky. Godzillas. Tromas. “OG”-flicks like New Jack City and Fresh. Usually a movie starring Natasha Lyonne that wasn’t American Pie. Docs like Grey Gardens and The Corporation. And odd movies starring great comedians like The Magic Christian and The Razor’s Edge. Right, Visioneers would be bunched in with those two.
Of course, “cult movies” is a broad umbrella term for these films, then and especially now, but their location under a roof housing infinite great music birthed the silent notion that the works belonged to a cinematic family. The odd symbiotic relationship is perhaps why the DVDs were rarely purchased; another reason is that, while the DVDs were new, the hands of countless gross nerds, junkies, and patchouli weirdos had flipped them over in states of blank studiousness and after many months of this they felt second-hand. Yet another reason is that most of the diehard culture addicts were shopping for music and…had already seen the majority of these films multiple times.
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.
It seems like everyweel one of the Hollywood studios announces a new board game or toy movie adaptation that pushes the limits on believability. Some nights while I’m writing up news, I wonder if I’m actually a minor character in one of those Hollywood satires that paints Hollywood executives as bumbling idiots, trying to suck onto any idea that might have audience recognition and franchise potential.
I would like to believe that the studio execs are much smarter than these type of films make them out to be. In fact, I know that, for the most part, they are much smarter than that. But every night a new new story hits my screen. Another news story that seems dumber than the one from the previous week, previous month. Stretch Armstrong, Candyland, Monopoly, Battleship, Asteroids, and now a movie based on the Viewmaster?
Page 2 is a compilation of stories and news tidbits, which for whatever reason, didn’t make the front page of /Film. After the jump we’ve included 25 different items, fun images, videos, casting tidbits, articles of interest and more. It’s like a mystery grab bag of movie web related goodness.
Geek Deal: Batman Begins Blu-Ray Giftset for $14.49
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Amazon has the Batman Begins Blu-ray giftset on sale for $14.49, 71% off the $50 msrp. The limited-edition Blu-ray gift set includes the original Blu-Ray, The Dark Knight Prologue, 32-page exclusive Dark Knight Prologue book, 16-page comic book adaptation of the first 6 minutes of The Dark Knight, a Batman Begins lenticular, and five collectible post cards. It also comes with Movie Money to see The Dark Knight in theaters, which obviously is no longer valid. So basically you can get the gift set for cheaper than a new copy of the normal Blu-ray.
Want to be an Extra in David O Russell’s The Fighter? Want to see Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale fight it out in a boxing ring? Do you live near Lowell Massachusetts? Details after the jump.
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First Look: Eminem in Judd Apatow’s Funny People
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Eminem revealed last month that he filmed a cameo in Judd Apatow’s Funny People. Now MTV has confirmed the appearance, publishing the first photo of Marshall Mathers in the movie, chatting with Adam Sandler at a Hollywood restaurant.
Every time Winona Ryder does something that interests the movie press (something that doesn’t involve getting arrested) she talks about a Heathers sequel. Listening to Ryder, you’d think there was a packaged project all ready to go, waiting in a studio exective’s office with a white sheet thrown over it, just waiting to be revealed like a classy sculpture. Not so, said original director Michael Lehmann when interviewed by Movieline. Read More »
Kristen Bell Doesn’t Think a Veronica Mars Movie Will Ever Happen
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
In March, show creator Rob Thomas gave an update on the developing Veronica Mars movie, stating that “while the pitch went well and I don’t think the movie’s dead, right now it’s looking depressing.” We haven’t heard anything since, and assumed that it’s fallen into the deep dark depths of development heck. Ad now the star of the series, Kristen Bell, is finally conceding that a film will probably never happen.
Spike Jonze-Directed Softbank Commercial Starring Brad Pitt
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Spike Jonze has directed a new commercial for the Japanese company Softbank, starring Brad Pitt as the personal assistant of a Sumo wrestler. From what I recall, the spot was shot in the Sirius/XM building in New York City. The tv advertisement won’t be airing in America, but you can watch the international television spot embedded after the jump.
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Resident Evil 4 Confirmed, Shooting Later This Year?
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Russ Fischer
Shock Till You Drop has some exclusive bad news: Screen Gems and Sony are racing to get another Resident Evil film in the can for release on September 17, 2010. Given the end of the third film, participation of Milla Jovovich is likely, and we know that Paul W.S. Anderson (director of the first film, writer and producer of all three previous movies) is writing this one, and will likely produce but not direct. What more is there to say? A little bit, actually, and it’s after the jump. Read More »
Live-Action Star Wars Series In Pre-Production In Australia?
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Russ Fischer
Remember the time when rumors that a live-action Star Wars television series was in pre-production would have ignited swirls of fan frenzy? How things have changed. Now SciFiWire’s report that writers are being assembled down under is just another line item in a crowded RSS feed. The show has long had a planned start date of late ‘09, so this report goes along with what we’ve already known. Assuming we do see a Star Wars series premiering next year, what will it actually be? Read More »
