Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Those of you who stepped out and snapped up the 20th Anniversary issue of Empire will already have seen the latest - and indeed, greatest - images from Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones. For those of you no lucky enough to live ‘over here’, the good news is that some industrious souls have scanned those pages and posted them online.
After the break, a look at a couple of these images - but, really, do seriously consider shelling out for the actual magazine. For one thing, there’s so much in there, and only a certain amount of it is going to ever roll up online.
John Stockwell is a director who has consistently disappointed me throughout his career. Stockwell showed promise with his 2001 film Crazy/Beautiful, starring Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez, but has since made a series of clunkers: Blue Crush, Into the Blue and Turistas. I’m not sure why Stockwell got stuck into a tropical water slump, but thankfully he has found his way out and gone back to his roots with Middle of Nowhere.
Grace (Eva Amurri) has worked hard in school to get the good grades, but the credit debt her mother (Susan Sarandon) racked up under her name as a child has prevented her from getting approved for the student loans she needs to go to College. Meanwhile, 17-year-old rich screw-up Dorian (Anton Yelchin) is sent to live at his uncle’s house for the Summer to learn the value of responsibility while working for $42 a day before taxes at a local water park. It is there that he meets Grace, and convinces her to become his driver, as he sells drugs to the area stoners. This isn’t a job that Grace eagerly accepts. But as she can find no other way to raise the $12,000 needed for her fall semester, she reluctantly goes along for the ride. And there is Grace’s sister Taylor (Willa Holland), who is being pushed by her mother to pursue a career in modeling. Over the course of the summer, the dark details behind Grace’s father’s suicide are revealed, Dorian finally discovers where he came from, and a romance blossoms between Grace an a rich stoner named Ben (Justin Chatwin), whom she meets while working the water slides.
Eva Amurri is an actress to watch out for in the years to come. In Middle of Nowhere, she delivers an emotionally authentic performance which might even make you forget about current It-star Anton Yelchin, with whom she shares the screen with. The role of Grace’s mother plays directly to Susan Sarandon’s strengths. And over the course of the 95 minutes, director John Stockwell makes up for the last seven years of crappy movies, which is saying a lot. I just hope we don’t have to sit through seven more years of Into The Blue’s. Stockwell needs to stick with character rich low concept stories like this one.
Middle of Nowhere is multi-layered coming of age story with authentic performances. It is the type of film that would have played at the Sundance film festival five years ago before quirky became indie.
/Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Here is a round up of stories that just didn’t make the /Film front page, or what we like to call…. Page 2!
Global Nerdy brings us the photo of the day: Speeder Dogs.
Charles Grodin will cameo in Jason Segel’s new Muppet Movie. [mtv]
TorrentSpy already shut its doors earlier this year, and now they have been hit with a $110 million judgment against its parent company, Valence Media. The MPAA has won. [mashable]
Collider has a preview of their set report of G.I. Joe.
Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman have just completed a screenplay based on Mark Millar’s graphic comic book ‘Kick-Ass‘. [dailymail]
HollywoodInk has a poster for this year’s Summer movie season (pictured left).
Rotten Tomatoes has an exclusive video diary from the set of Quantum of Solace.
Vulture wonders what unsung comic book superheroes should star in The Avengers.
Ellen Page is set to play one of English literature’s most famous characters, the eponymous heroine of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. [Variety]
Topless Robot counts down the 11 Best Songs from Geek-Movie Soundtracks.
Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt will star in the Marc Webb-helmed romantic comedy 500 Days of Summer for Fox Searchlight, which centers on a man (Gordon-Levitt) who falls hopelessly in love with a woman (Deschanel) who doesn’t believe in love. [variety]
CineVegas has announced their line-up which includes: The Rocker, Dark Streets, Your Name Here, Beautiful Losers, Chelsea on the Rocks, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Choke, and Schoof [thecircuit]
The Sundance Channel has been acquired by New York-based Cablevision Systems for $496 million in stock and cash. [imdb]
Director Darren Lynn Bousman has officially been asked to direct the remake to Hellraiser. [bloody-disgusting]
io9 has the latest on the Cloverfield Managa.
SNL have announced Shia LeBoeuf will host May 10th with My Morning Jacket and Steve Carell will host season finale on May 17th with Usher. [collider]
The internet teaser trailer for Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno will hit the web next week. [newsaskew]
The first production photo of Moon Bloodgood as Det. Maya Sunee in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li was released on the movie’s official blog.
Susan Sarandon, Bill Pullman and Josh Lucas are joining Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page in Michael Lander’s psychological thriller “Peacock.” [THR]
GuideSpot has a Google Maps guide of Alfred Hitchcock’s Bay Area.
Tom Cruise has launched Tom Cruise.com.
Tom Hanks endorses Barack Obama.
My friend John Campea over on The Movie Blog listed five lesser known comic character movies he’d like to see
Wanted and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army will open and close the Los Angeles Film Festival.
FirstShowing takes a look at the Future of Iron Man: Alcoholic Tony Stark, War Machine, and Beyond!
The first trailer for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor will hit in June. [SciFi]
Maya Entertainment has acquired all U.S. rights to Alex Rivera’s Sundance award-winner Sleep Dealer. [THR]
Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones Stops Filming Due to Creative Rift?
Posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 by Hunter Stephenson
Pardon the Christopher Guestish humor in this situation, but Flicks.Co.NZ is reporting that Peter Jackson and one of his art directors are in a big tiff on the set of The Lovely Bones. Why? Because they can’t agree on the film adaptation’s notion of Heaven. Filming has temporarily stopped until The Pearly Gates, a major aspect/set in the film, meets Jackson’s satisfaction. “More clouds I say!” Crew is said to be on an extended break for cigarettes and GTA4.
You may recall that Jackson had a prior creative difference when he replaced Ryan Gosling, who had gone pudgy for a major role, with Mark Wahlberg. And recently, Susan Sarandon offered a little creative dissonance while on the Speed Racer red carpet to Empire…
“Peter Jackson is really a nice guy and very interesting. It was really a very different way of working. We had a good time, I’m really curious to see what it’s like because he kept pushing me to be more and more extreme and sometimes that’s when you make your big mistakes so I’m not sure how it will come off - it will be interesting to see it from the point of view of the audience.”
Sarandon went on to say that her character, Grandma Lynn, didn’t seem like a “real grandmother,” and seemed more like an alcoholic, tacky caricature there to serve comic relief. So, does this all equal another case of the trendy “complicated birthing process” or is it a troubling sign of things to come for the actual film? As long as Heaven doesn’t resemble a wet hallucination straight out of What Dreams May Come, I’d say Jackson is undeserving of the nickname “Cloudy Killjoy.”
Discuss: What cinematic heaven met your personal VIP standards? I’d have to default and go with Bernie’s MO in A Weekend at Bernie’s.
Release Dates: G.I. Joe, The Lovely Bones, Marley and Me
Posted on Monday, November 19th, 2007 by Peter Sciretta
Paramount Pictures has announced domestic release dates for Peter Jackson’s next film and the upcoming live-action G.I. Joe feature film, and Fox has set a date for Marley and Me. Let’s take a look into the future, so get out your calendars.
Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s best selling novel The Lovely Bones will hit theaters on March 13th 2009. The Lovely Bones is the story of a 14-year-old girl from suburban Pennsylvania who is murdered by her neighbor. She tells the story from Heaven, showing the lives of the people around her and how they have changed all while attempting to get someone to find her lost body. Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci star. The movie is currently in production.
Stephen Sommers’ live-action big budget G.I. Joe movie gets a late Summer 2009 date: August 7th 2009. No casting announcements have been made. Tony Scott’s adaptation of The Taking of Pelham 123, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta, is also scheduled for the same release date.
It is also worth noting that Fox2000’s adaptation of Marley and Me has been scheduled for a December 19th 2008 release. Based on the memoir by John Grogan, Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson star in the story of a family that learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog.
source: BOM
Warner Independent has released this new poster for Paul Haggis’ (Crash) In The Valley of Elah (movie trailer).
His new drama is inspired by the true-life case of a retired Army veteran (Tommy Lee Jones) who discovers his son was killed by his own platoon members after they returned stateside but failed to shake battlefield mentality. To be fair, this is director/screenwriter Paul Haggis’s eagerly anticipated follow up to the Oscar-winning 2004 indie-hit Crash. The other films I mentioned above he wrote but didn’t direct. The film is based on an article from Playboy Magazine (who knew they had articles?) written by Mark Boal. Haggis’ fictionalized version also stars Charlize Theron, James Franco, Susan Sarandon, and Josh Brolin. Looks like it has potential. Click on the poster to the right to enlarge.
For me Paul Haggis has been off and on. I thought Million Dollar Baby was okay if not overrated, I loved Crash, Casino Royale, and Letters From Iwo Jima. I liked The Last Kiss more than most, and somewhat disliked Flags of our Fathers. I’m seeing this movie this week, and I’ve heard great things thus far.
Cinematical has gotten a first look at the poster art for Disney’s half animated / live-action crossover Enchanted (movie trailer). Sure, we did post some of the early poster art back in March, and the official poster isn’t too far off from the conceptual art. You can click on the image to the right to enlarge.
In an animated fairy tale world, a young girl meets and falls in love with the handsome prince of her dreams. News of this romance upsets the prince’s mother, the evil queen, who uses her black magic to send the girl hurtling out of the animated world into the one place in the universe where there is no true love: modern day Manhattan. The now-real girl has to survive in New York City and find her way home again to her true love. Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Susan Sarandon star.
The online reception to the movie trailer has been for the most part negative, but I still think this film has potential as a family comic fantasy film.
Enchanted hits theaters on November 21st 2007.
15 New Photos from Paul Haggis’ In the Valley of Elah
Posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 by Peter Sciretta
Warner Independent has released 15 new photos from Paul Haggis new film In the Valley of Elah (movie trailer). For me Paul Haggis has been off and on. I thought Million Dollar Baby was okay if not overrated, I loved Crash, Casino Royale, and Letters From Iwo Jima. I liked The Last Kiss, and somewhat disliked Flags of our Fathers.
His new drama is inspired by the true-life case of a retired Army veteran (played here by Tommy Lee Jones) who discovers his son was killed by his own platoon members after they returned stateside but failed to shake battlefield mentality. To be fair, this is director/screenwriter Paul Haggis’s eagerly anticipated follow up to the Oscar-winning 2004 indie-hit Crash. The other films I mentioned above he wrote but didn’t direct. The film is based on an article from Playboy Magazine (who knew they had articles?) written by Mark Boal. Haggis’ fictionalized version also stars Charlize Theron, James Franco, Susan Sarandon, and Josh Brolin. Looks like it has potential. Check out the photos after the jump.
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Paul Haggis’ In the Valley of Elah Movie Trailer
Posted on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 by Peter Sciretta
 
Warner Independent has released the movie trailer for Paul Haggis new film In the Valley of Elah. For me Paul Haggis has been off and on. I thought Million Dollar Baby was okay if not overrated, I loved Crash, Casino Royale, and Letters From Iwo Jima. I liked The Last Kiss, and hated Flags of our Fathers.
His new drama is inspired by the true-life case of a retired Army veteran (played here by Tommy Lee Jones) who discovers his son was killed by his own platoon members after they returned stateside but failed to shake battlefield mentality. To be fair, this is director/screenwriter Paul Haggis’s eagerly anticipated follow up to the Oscar-winning 2004 indie-hit Crash. The other films I mentioned above he wrote but didn’t direct. The film is based on an article from Playboy Magazine (who knew they had articles?) written by Mark Boal. Haggis’ fictionalized version also stars Charlize Theron, James Franco, Susan Sarandon, and Josh Brolin. Looks like it has potential. Check out the trailer at MSN.com
Casting Speed Racer: Susan Sarandon and John Goodman
Posted on Sunday, April 1st, 2007 by Peter Sciretta
Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking) and John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, The Flintstones) are in negotiations to co-star in The Wachowski Brothers’ big screen adaptation of Speed Racer.
Read More »
Earlier this month we published the first photos from Kevin Lima’s (Tarzan) half animated / live-action crossover Enchanted. Thanks to AICN, we have the first batch of promotional poster art.
The one to the left is my favorite. It’s the best mixture of Disney fairy tale and live action. Lets hope they don’t use the “Still Waiting for a Prince? Girl-Get Real” tagline. Check out all five designs over at AICN.
In an animated fairy tale world, a young girl meets and falls in love with the handsome prince of her dreams. News of this romance upsets the prince’s mother, the evil queen, who uses her black magic to send the girl hurtling out of the animated world into the one place in the universe where there is no true love: modern day Manhattan. The now-real girl has to survive in New York City and find her way home again to her true love. Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Susan Sarandon star.
Enchanted hits theaters on November 21st 2007.
New Production Art: Prince of Persia, Toy Story 3, American Dog, Wall-E, Enchanted and National Treasure 2
Posted on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 by Peter Sciretta
Thanks to the recent Disney Investor Relations release, we have new logo and production art for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Toy Story 3, Wall-E, and Ratatouille. Check it out below. As always, left click for a higher res version.
