Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Harrison Ford Earned Almost 2.5 Times More Than The Top Earning Actress in 2008
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Forbes Magazine has released their list of the highest earning actresses, once again proving that Hollywood is sexist. Angelina Jolie tops the list with $27 million, almost two and a half times less than the highest earning male actor (Harrison Ford with $65 million - remember, Crystal Skull was a huge payday). The top 10 actresses earned $183 million, less than half of the $393 million total that makes up the top 10 actors. Check out the top 15 after the jump.
Walt Disney Pictures has released the movie trailer for the American redub of Legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s latest movie Ponyo. The film will be released on over 800 screens, the largest American release yet for Miyazaki. And the trailer features some fantastic visuals which will hopefully appeal to the masses. You can see this trailer in theaters this weekend attached to My Sister’s Keeper or watch it now after the jump. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Universal has announced the full cast listing for Ridley Scott’s Yet-To-Be-Titled Robin Hood movie, which has begun production in the United Kingdom. Joining Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett will be:
- Vanessa Redgrave (Julia, Atonement) as John and Richard’s mother, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Mark Strong (Body of Lies, Stardust) as King John’s vicious henchman, Sir Godfrey
- Oscar Isaac (Che, Body of Lies) as King John
- Léa Seydoux (13 French Street, Inglourious Basterds) as the woman who will become queen, French Princess Isabella
Robin’s band of men:
- Scott Grimes (ER, American Dad) as Welshman Will Scarlet
- Kevin Durand (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 3:10 to Yuma) as Robin’s right-hand, Scotsman Little John
- Alan Doyle as their troubadour, Irishman Allan Adayle
We are also given the first official plot synopsis for the film, which you can read after the jump.
Read More »
Legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s latest movie Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea will finally be getting a domestic release. The film was released last July in Japan, and has since grossed over ¥15.0 billion ($153.1 million). Disney’s John Lasseter has been working with Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy to make the American release of the movie, Miyazaki’s “biggest hit ever Stateside.” Spirited Away earned a little more than $10 million stateside on 714 screens, and the plan is to give Ponyo an even wider release. The movie, retitled just Ponyo, hits theaters on August 14th 2009, and Disney has announced the English-language voice cast.
Noah Cyrus provides the voice of a baby goldfish named Ponyo who desires to be a human, and gets her wish. She runs away from her home in the sea and befriends a five-year-old human boy named S?suke (voiced by Frankie Jonas). Other cast members include Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cloris Leachman, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin and Betty White.
Mark Strong Names Cate Blanchett as Nottingham’s Maid Marian
Posted on Sunday, February 8th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly
Speaking to The Telegraph’s Mandrake on the red carpet of the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards, Mark Strong has claimed that Cate Blanchett is likely to inherit the role of Maid Marian in Ridley Scott’s Nottingham from the recently ousted Sienna Miller.
“I think Cate Blanchett is set to take the Maid Marian part. She is a wonderful actress and it would make it a much classier film if she was in it.”
Strong will be in the film as Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and Russel Crowe is infamously set for the roles of Robin Hood and the Sherrif of Nottingham - though I suspect there are still some twists to be revealed there.
Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Posted on Friday, December 26th, 2008 by David Chen
[The following contains minor spoilers for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.]
The premise of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button holds a great deal of promise: If you were forced to live life backwards, starting with old age and ending with infancy, how would you do it differently? If you experienced the tragic death of those around you at the outset of life, how would that change the way you valued future relationships? If you could re-live your young adult days with the accumulated knowledge of 60 years of experience, how enthusiastically would you take on the world? After reading about the film and watching director David Fincher’s interview with Charlie Rose, it’s clear to me that Fincher set out primarily to make a movie that answers these questions. While I don’t think he succeeds to any meaningful degree, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is nonetheless a beautiful, moving film, and one that ultimately and profoundly confronts notions of fate and chance.
Read More »
More Early Buzz: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Posted on Monday, November 24th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
More reviews for David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button have begun to hit the interwebs., which means its time for another Early Buzz roundup:
Kris Tapley of In Contention: “I didn’t fall in love like so many in the crowd did. However, I couldn’t help but sense the innovation on display, not just below the line, but in the way we tell stories. This is a brilliant yarn, probably Roth’s finest screenplay to date, in a career that has seen some fine work.” … “I think there is no argument against Cate Blanchett being nominated for Best Actress, and again, I think she takes this award in a cake walk.” … “Nominations for Picture, Director, Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, Cinematography, Film Editing, Makeup, Original Score and Visual Effects are virtually assured. That’s 10 you can take to the bank.”
Steve Zeitchik of THR’s Risky Biz: “For about forty-five minutes the concept takes you by storm (and makes your head hurt, in a good way), with the narrative and visual inventiveness not seen in an American film in a long time (at least one not made by Charlie Kaufman, anyway). The movie droops a little after that, as Button begins to make his discoveries out in the world. But it rebounds powerfully in its final hour” … “The movie delivers on pretty much every other level — it’s funny, though-provoking, stylish, human, artful but not inaccessible. Even when it’s taking some obvious cues, you won’t mind.”
Karina Longworth of Spout: “Watching ‘Benjamin Button,’ occasionally I actively loathed it, but mostly I just felt genuinely disappointed that it seemed so lacking in genuine feeling.” … “This film will likely make a lot of money and win a lot of awards, and yet is so phony and cloying and gimmicky that its success will some day be seen by some as a tragedy.”
Sasha Stone of Awards Daily: “If I had to name the film that would probably have the best shot at winning Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costumes, Art Direction it would be this one.” … “this is a film that works on every level. It is an authentic bit of writing, straight from the heart of Eric Roth” … “The film is a visual delight — though it’s oddly cold in its scenery. A warmer, cozier world wouldn’t have made it a Fincher movie.” … “I didn’t think that Fincher could pull off something overly sentimental.”
Mike Goodridge of Screen Daily: “a wildly ambitious fantasy which contains many intriguing elements and superb production values but ultimately fails to cohere as the epic tragedy it wants to be.” … “Pitt gives his best performance to date, capturing the weariness of old age as convincingly as the vigour of youth. Blanchett (who is also given a digital rejuvenation for her teenage years) is as superb as ever, although the chemistry between the two is muted to say the least.”
Dave Karger of Entertainment Weekly: “Button is an Oscar movie with a capital O, with jaw-dropping production values, a soaring romance, and terrific performances, particularly from supporting-actress candidate Taraji P. Henson as Benjamin’s de facto mother. Even if Brad Pitt doesn’t make it into the tough Best Actor race (the likes of Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio may squeeze him out), I still can see Button racking up as many as 11 nominations, which could very well be the highest tally for any film this year.”
Todd McCarthy of Variety: “a richly satisfying serving of deep-dish Hollywood storytelling. This odd, epic tale of a man who ages backwards is presented in an impeccable classical manner, every detail tended to with fastidious devotion.”
Anne Thompson of Variety: “an historic achievement, a masterful piece of cinema, and a moving treatise on death, loss, loneliness and love.” … “The actors are superb, especially Pitt and Cate Blanchett, who should earn Oscar noms.” … “the movie is sadly beautiful, of a piece, as impeccably wrought as its ornate clock that runs counterclockwise.”
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movie Trailer #2
Posted on Friday, September 26th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Paramount has released the second movie trailer for David Fincher’s The Curious Case on Benjamin Button is now online. I was bit disappointed after seeing 20 minutes of selected scenes from the film at Telluride, but I can’t help getting excited again after seeing this latest television spot.
Watch the trailer in High Definition on Apple.com.
The official plot synopsis: “I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, “Benjamin Button,” is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button hits theaters on Christmas Day 2008.
First Impressions on 20 Minutes of David Fincher’s Benjamin Button
Posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
I just got out of the David Fincher tribute (which I will write about at length later) but for now I want to share my first impressions on the 20 minutes of footage from Fincher’s new film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was screened at the event. First off, I want to say that I’m a die hard Fincher fan. I’ve loved everyone of his film, with the slight exception of Panic Room, which I still enjoyed. Fight Club is in my top 10 all time favorite films. Like many others, I was amazed at the trailer for Benjamin Button. It was probably the best dramatic trailer I’ve seen in years. So to say that I’m excited about Benjamin Button would be an understatement.
Then rumors began to circulate about a three hour plus long movie, and an angry studio which was battling with Fincher to turn in a shorter film. And then Paramount dropped Fincher’s Heavy Metal, which was set up at the studio. The official reason given was that Fincher’s vision of the project was too dark and sexy for the studio. But if one were to connect the dots, you see a connection to the supposed feud behind the scenes over the Ben Button running time. Last I heard, the film was cut down to around two hours and forty five minutes, and rumor had it that the studio was still unhappy with the length. Again, this is all hearsay. Nothing confirmed, just things you hear around Hollywood.
I’m all for conserving the director’s artistic vision, and I’ve enjoyed most of Fincher’s work, even if Zodiac could have been 30 minutes shorter on the back end. So when I first heard rumors of the studio pushing Fincher to cut back, my first response was to write it off as another movie studio exec that just didn’t get it. But could they be right?
The footage I screened tonight was met with disappointment and concern. There are moments of magic and wonder, but interrupted and surrounded by moments which had me questioning, “Is this really the best footage he has?” The 20-minute package contained bits and pieces of scenes which spanned from the beginning of the film, probably past the half way mark. It was made clear that the film is bookmarked with Cate Blanchett’s character as an an older lady in a hospital bed being read the life story of Benjamin Button by a younger woman, presumably her daughter. But the whole framing device seemed rather confusing. Why is she being read the story of Ben button’s life? It’s hard to understand without context. Again, we’re only seeing pieces of scenes.
We see how Benjamin’s mother died during childbirth, and how his father ran away with the newborn and left him on the steps of a house, for a black couple to discover. A young black woman decides to take Benjamin in, giving him his name. A doctor explains that the child is going through overall body failure, similar to that of an 80-year-old man. This doesn’t scare Queenie off, as she believes he is a miracle. Benjamin is brought to one of those traveling churches with a tent set-up and a preacher who claims to cure people through faith. A 7-year-old Button is brought on stage to be healed. The Preacher gets him to rise up from his wheel chair and walk. But instead, Button slams face first into the floor, prompting a weird moment of laughter from the audience at Telluride. There are many of these moments of comedy that abruptly interferes with the dramatic flow of the scenes exhibited.
Years later, Benjamin is now working on a boat, when his Captain asks him if he has ever been with a Woman, which he had not. So he is brought to a whorehouse and shown the power of a regular income. The moments that really didn’t work for me involved Benjamin’s romantic relationships with the characters played by Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. And sure, it might have helped to have seen these films in a better context, but the way they were presented, I felt myself becoming uninvolved with the story every time either one of them appeared on screen. I have a strong feeling that if the romantic relationships in this film don’t work, the film might not work. There is even a scene later on where Benjamin watches Cate dance sexily for him in the moonlight. It was one of those sequences which has you wondering, where is this going, when is it going to end, hasn’t it gone on long enough, hoping for the next scene to begin sooner rather than later. I talked to a bunch of festival-goers after the screening, and they seemed to agree that there were quite a few elongated uninteresting moments which might benefit from some trimming.
The cinematography was beautiful yet subdued from Fincher’s usual flash. Brad Pitt delivers a performance that will make you forget that he’s behind the make-up. The transformation will make you believe that a man can age backwards. I’m still excited to see the finished product, I’m just a little disappointed. It was good but not great. Could it be that the film wasn’t what I expected, or maybe not what I wanted?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movie Trailer
Posted on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
The American teaser trailer for David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has finally shown up online on Trailer Addict. The trailer received huge buzz when it premiered attached to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last month. Check it out, after the jump.
Read More »
See The Movie Trailer for David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Posted on Friday, May 23rd, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Update: We’ve embedded the International version of the movie trailer in this posting.
Want to see the movie trailer for David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? I’ve heard it’s playing in front of most prints of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And word has it that the trailer won’t show up online in official form until the end of next week. International trailer below:
So if you haven’t seen Indiana Jones 4, you might now have a reason. From what I understand the majority of the trailer has no dialogue and is almost completely cut to music (I’m being told that it uses “Aquarium” section of “The Carnival of the Animals” by the composer Saint-Saëns). Alex Billington of FirstShowing saw the trailer and is already calling the movie “next year’s Best Picture.”
“At my local theater nearby, I’ve gone in and watched this trailer four times just to bask in its brilliance, writes Billington. “I wouldn’t be hard-pressed to call it potentially a masterpiece. The music in the trailer is really what makes it extraordinary. It’s one of the most emotional, thrilling, and tragic trailers I’ve seen that encapsulates the entire story in itself. … I haven’t been this affected since I saw the trailer for Zack Snyder’s 300 back in at Comic-Con in 2006.”
Sure, Mr. Billington tends to get excited easily, but I’ve gotten a bunch of emails from readers and friends who were also taken away by the surprise trailer. One reader named Andy actually sent us an email about the trailer from his screening. Here are some other reactions:
LiquidFilmmaking: Even if [Indy 4] sucked that is one of the best trailers I’ve seen. It’s up there with the Thin Red Line trailer or the Episode 1 trailer, at least for me.
Steven Cravens: Just from the trailer I can tell Fincher is going to get his nomination. It was epic as hell. I can’t wait.
JimmiesCoffee: My jaw dropped throughout the entire thing. The best part was that David Fincher never put his name on the screen. Now THATS modesty. Eat your heart out Brett Ratner. Its #1 on my list of movies this year. I cannot wait. WOW.
Carson Patrick: This was one of the best trailers I’ve ever seen. Didn’t give too much away, and left you really wondering what it was all about. plus, the imagery and the scope of the movie was amazing and epic. Fincher seems to have really outdone himself with this one. I hope he and Brad get Oscar nominations.
HurtsLikeHellFire: Freaking sweet! Great trailer. The fx look worth the long wait. And what beautiful music. I almost didn’t notice it I was so engrossed with the images.
I’m very excited about this film. Fincher’s Fight Club is one of my all time favorites. Panic Room felt more like a pointless clinical cinematic experiment than anything else, and Zodiac was probably one of the best films of last year films, bad sadly mis-marketed and underrated. Academy Award winner Eric Roth also wrote the screenplays for Forrest Gump, The Horse Whisperer, and Munich. But what is Benjamin Button about? I’ve included the official plot synopsis below
“I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins “Benjamin Button,” adapted from the classic 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards. A man, like any of us, unable to stop time. We follow his story set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the twenty-first century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Tilda Swinton, Taraji P. Henson, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, “Benjamin Button,” is a time traveler’s tale of the people and places he bumps into along the way, the loves he loses and finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.
New Image From Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Shia Versus Blanchett.
Posted on Friday, April 18th, 2008 by Hunter Stephenson
Image Removed at Paramount’s Request
Worth a laugh. A new crop of grainy images have surfaced at IESB for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Their origin is unknown at this time. We’ve included the best one above. Memorable movie scenes where a guy punches out a lady on screen are few and far, with Christoper McQuarrie’s The Way of the Gun easily in the top 3. Here we have Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt Williams readying a tiny fist for Cate Blanchett’s villainess Russian agent Irina Spalko while gunning it through the jungle. So, now you know.
Discuss: What do you think Shia’s character says right before he socks her? Best answer wins worldwide fame.
