Posted on Saturday, December 24th, 2011 by Angie Han
Cameron Crowe‘s We Bought a Zoo unfolds in the kind of universe where characters say things like “If you do something for the right reasons, nothing can stop you,” and indeed, it turns out that if your heart is in the right place, Mother Nature herself will stop and part the clouds to make your dreams come true. It’s a place where “Why not?” is a perfectly valid response to the question “What on earth possessed you to buy a zoo?” and where “insane courage” guarantees a desirable outcome. If all of that sounds cringingly sappy, well, it kind of is. But Crowe tells the tale with such genuine feeling that it’s tough not to fall for the movie’s charms all the same.
Based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee, the film follows a freshly widowed father (Matt Damon) who, in an unconventional attempt at self-therapy, moves himself and his two children Dylan and Rosie (Colin Ford and Maggie Elizabeth Jones) into a decrepit zoo. With the help of a small but devoted staff (Patrick Fugit, Elle Fanning, Angus Macfadyen) led by zookeeper Kelly (Scarlett Johansson), the family sets about renovating the park for a grand reopening.
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Posted on Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 by Angie Han
We’ve already expressed our eagerness to check out Cameron Crowe‘s We Bought a Zoo, and it seems Fox is equally excited to show it to us. The studio has teamed up with social media service TOUT to offer sneak preview screenings of the drama on Saturday, November 26, four weeks before its official release date of December 23. And as if the mere fact of getting to see Crowe’s latest in advance weren’t motivation enough, attendees will also have the opportunity to enter a contest for a trip to San Diego by posting reviews of the film.
Based on a memoir by Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo stars Matt Damon as a single dad who moves his family to a dilapidated zoo. Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Elle Fanning, and Patrick Fugit also appear. More details after the jump.
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Posted on Monday, October 3rd, 2011 by Angie Han
Zach Gilford, best known as sensitive QB Matt Saracen on Friday Night Lights, will be starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand. Described as “a combination of Die Hard and High Noon,” the action film revolves around a border town sheriff (Schwarzenegger) who finds himself tasked with stopping a drug kingpin from crossing the U.S. border. Gilford will play one of the cops working under Schwarzenegger’s character.
The Last Stand marks the English-language debut of South Korean filmmaker Kim Ji-woon (I Saw the Devil), as well as Schwarzenegger’s return to acting. Given the kind of work that Schwarzenegger and Gilford have each done in the past, I’m having a little trouble imagining them starring next to each other. But Gilford’s a wonderful actor who deserves to get way more work than he does, so I’m just happy to see him pick up a higher-profile gig for once. The Last Stand is due out January 18, 2013. [Deadline]
After the jump, pop star Pink tries her hand at acting, while actor Derek Luke gives music a shot.
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Posted on Monday, April 11th, 2011 by Angie Han
These days, reality television may be considered by some to be a blight on our cultural landscape, but there was a time when it offered a more honest counterpoint to the idealized families being portrayed on American sitcoms. Back in the early ’70s, filmmaker Craig Gilbert conceived of a documentary series about a California household as a response to shows like The Brady Bunch. The show, “An American Family,” was considered groundbreaking at the time, and is now thought of as one of the earliest examples of reality television.
HBO Films’ Cinema Verite, directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor), tells the story of the making of “An American Family.” James Gandolfini stars as Gilbert, while Diane Lane and Tim Robbins play the parents of the Loud family. We’ve featured spots for the movie here before, and a new trailer has just been released. Check it out after the jump.
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I’m a huge fan of director Cameron Crowe, and Almost Famous is one of my favorite films of all time. Before I started /Film, one of the websites I use to check on a regular basis was a Cameron Crowe fansite called The Uncool (which, yes, is a brilliant reference from Almost Famous). The guy who owned the blog, Greg Mariotti, you might know from another film blog called PixarTalk (he’s appeared on the /filmcast as well), sold the site years ago to Crowe himself.
Cameron brought Greg on to help with his official site, which was a cool looking flash-designed dysfunctional mess, and the blog folded. Updates became few and far between. Recently Mariotti relaunched The Uncool as a stand-alone official blog, which is allowing him to post all sorts of cool Cameron Crowe-related material. I’ve been looking for an excuse to write about the blog for the past month, and now I have one.
Today Greg posted an article titled “5 Things I Learned About We Bought a Zoo”, which includes photos and observations from visiting the California-based se of his new film, a big screen adaptation of We Bought a Zoo which stars Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, John Michael Higgins, Angus MacFadyen, Patrick Fugit, and more. I’ve never been to the set of a Cameron Crowe film, so I’ll have to live vicariously through Greg’s reports… but maybe someday? Head over to TheUncool to learn about the changes that Cameron has taken from Benjamin Mee‘s book, technical details (yes, the movie is being shot on film), details on Cameron’s new partnership with Director of Photography Rodrigo Prieto and more. I’m sure he has more, which will likely be posted in future updates.
Posted on Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 by Angie Han
Reality stars are a dime a dozen these days, but HBO Films’ Cinema Verite takes us back to a time when that wasn’t the case. The film dramatizes the behind-the-scenes action surrounding PBS’ 1973 documentary series An American Family, which HBO’s marketing team is referring to the first reality show. The series followed a Santa Barbara family called the Louds as parents Pat and Bill filed for divorce.
Cinema Verite stars Diane Lane and Tim Robbins as Pat and Bill, Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as son Lance, and James Gandolfini as producer Craig Gilbert. It was directed by husband and wife team Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor, Wanderlust), and written by David Seltzer (1976′s The Omen). Pretty good pedigree, right? Watch the trailer and read the official synopsis after the jump. Read More »
Cameron Crowe is set to reteam with Almost Famous star (and big screen alter ego) Patrick Fugit and talented up and comer Elle Fanning (Somewhere, Super 8, The Nines) in the a big screen adaptation of Benjamin Mee‘s bestselling memoir We Bought a Zoo.
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Two days ago, we delved into rumors that the next Peter Parker could be played by the Macguire-esque Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous, Wristcutters) or the younger, spunkish Michael Angarano (Sky High). Well, Sony wants to put some Internet skywriting out there and fast. Their message is: “Tobey Maguire you’re the best, you’re our Spider-Man!…right?” Sony’s head of media relations tells IESB…
“No one is being considered for the role but Tobey. Period.”
IESB adds that numerous inside sources and agencies have confirmed that no actor in Hollywood or Bollywood has been contacted for Peter Parker. Prior to this, CHUD caught word from a producer on Fugit’s latest film who said the rumor was totally bunk. Let’s all electric slide back to square one, okay?
This premature casting drama went supernova because a higher-up at Marvel speculated that Sony will have Spider-Man 4 in theaters in 2010, which supported rumors that Sony wants to shoot Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5 back-to-back. Whatever Sony says, there is movement happening with the franchise, so a little interwebs madness is expected, healthier than eating bacon even.
I don’t think Fugit would be (have been) an unwise choice, he’s talented, but he shares Macguire’s sleepy, melancholy style to a fault. Peter wonders why Shia Labeouf is not in the mix—he’s probably my first choice for Parker, and I really hope they bring in a new director as well. What’s interesting is that the fan outrage at these Macguire replacement rumors is not really there, which is odd. And fanboy hindsight on Spider-Man 3 seems to grow dimmer as time passes. More on the next Spidey flick(s) as it develops.
Discuss: Will Tobey Maguire be back you think? Do you think the word is out to other actors? Ideally, what do you want to see happen?
