Everything Movies | Comments Off

It’s one of those odd twists of fate I suppose that this film, “Soul Men,” that wasn’t on many of our collective radar’s before a few days ago, now has so much resonance. “Soul Men” now has the strange distinction of containing some of the final on-screen performances of both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. Mac passed away over the weekend after a bout with pneumonia while Hayes succumbed to a stroke on Sunday. The folks behind “Soul Men” have released a few clips from the film today featuring both men. You can view them all here or one featuring Mac and Samuel L. Jackson below.

Everything Movies | Comments Off

- George Clooney options “The Challenge,” about the trials and tribulations of Salim Hamdan, the bodyguard and driver of Osama bin Laden. (Variety)

- Tom Cruise eyes “The Tourist” as possible “Valkyrie” follow-up. (Variety)

- Dane Cook rips into the poster for his new film, “My Best Friend’s Girl,” makes hilarious reference to Britney Spears’ nether-regions. (MySpace)

- Brett Ratner spearheading effort to remake horror film, “Mother’s Day.” (ShockTilYouDrop)

- Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio thriller “Body of Lies” gets a new trailer. (Yahoo)

Everything Movies | Comments Off

It's a super hero showdown!

In a new interview with Moviehole, Robert Downey Jr. went off on The Dark Knight. It's safe to say that the man behind the suit of this summer's other major comic book film, Iron Man, thinks the latest Batman chapter is overrated.

“My whole thing is that I saw The Dark Knight. I feel like I’m dumb because I feel like I don’t get how many things that are so smart. It’s like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and script writing and I’m like, ‘That’s not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.’

I loved [Christopher Noalan's] The Prestige, but didn’t understand The Dark Knight. Didn’t get it, still can’t tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I’m like, ‘I get it. This is so high brow and so fucking smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.’ You know what?

Fuck DC comics. That’s all I have to say and that’s where I’m really coming from.”

Robert Downey Jr., seen here in character in Tropic Thunder, holds nothing back in his critique of The Dark Knight.

Everything Movies | Comments Off

The next starring vehicle for Tom Cruise, Valkyrie, has been pushed back to next year. It's set to open on February 13, 2009.

Here's a look at Cruise in the movie's starring role, Claus von Stauffenberg, the man who leads a plot to assassinate Hitler...

Everything Movies | Comments Off

Rumors of Arnold Schwarzenegger popping up in Terminator Salvation have died down.

But fans are now wondering about whether or not Linda Hamilton will make a cameo in the remaking of this franchise.

According to TheArnoldFans.com, the famous Polaroid picture of Sarah Connor will appear in the film for certain. It will, of course, bear Hamtilon’s likeness.

The website reportedly spoke to someone involved in Terminator Salvation at Comic Con who told them they’ll indeed be using the Hamilton photo in the film.

"Linda is the only way to go to honor the original Terminator films and to tie our films together," the source said. “We're big fans of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but we're either going with Linda or shooting the actors holding a picture. The audience is smart enough to realize what they are looking at. We just need to contact Linda still."

Well... a couple of weeks have passed and a representative for Hamilton says no one has spoken to the actress yet.

As soon as she knows if she's involved with the film, we'll let you know.

Everything Movies | Comments Off

By Steve Ginsberg

This weekend, unless you are one of those few poor souls who are just finally getting around to seeing the “The Dark Knight,” chances are the popcorn in your wallet is going to fund a trip to see “Tropic Thunder.” Well before you end up in that nicely worn in movie theater seat, here’s a few flicks worth picking up on DVD that without which, “Tropic Thunder” would have been a very quiet storm.

Apocalypse Now (1979) – The Complete Dossier - Two Disc Special Collector’s Edition
Beyond just the color palate, cinematography, and setting, “Tropic Thunder” first and foremost spoofs every frame of “Apocalypse Now.” If you are unfamiliar with this adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” somehow you have been missing out on jokes from “Back to The Future II” through “Iron Man.” Go watch immediately.

Hot Shots Part Deux (1993) – Hot Shots & Hot Shots Part Deux, Double Feature
In my book, you can’t watch a funnier spoof of war movies. If there was an award for Slapstick War films, this would win the Lifetime Achievement statuette. Also spoofing “Apocalypse Now,” Charlie Sheen is priceless.

The Ben Stiller Show (1992-1993) — The Complete Series
He directed “Zoolander” and of course “Reality Bites,” but go back further and you find some of Ben Stiller’s funniest work. Parody galore, this thirteen episode gem was a breeding ground for some of today’s brains of comedy. Judd Apatow, David Cross, and Janeane Garofalo, all sunk their teeth into this series before we knew who they were.

Everything Movies | Comments Off

FROM SPLASH PAGE: It was inevitable, really — never just a movie, “The Incredibles,” what with its whole family of supers, belonged in the comic book world from the get go, and now, with Pixar’s deal with Boom Studios, they will be.

Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl (Mrs. Incredible), and their kids Violet, Dash, and baby Jack-Jack will continue their adventures in what writer Mark Waid calls “Incredibles 1.5,” a storyline that starts a little after the events of the movie, so that the family has had some time to let it sink in, but the characters are not any older. (And should there be an “Incredibles” sequel, the comic book stories won’t interfere). “This is Pixar’s tip on the Fantastic Four,” Waid said, “so while I get to play with their toys in the toybox, it can’t be so drastic that they can’t have a future.” Read More…

Everything Movies | Comments Off

Every so often, rumors of a “Serenity” sequel pop up, and no matter how many times Joss Whedon says, “No, it’s not happening,” the rumors persist. Are they based on any behind-the-scenes maneuvers? Or if they’re not based on any reality in this ‘verse, why do they persist?

“The rumors are there because people really wish it would happen,” Whedon said.

Not just the fans — the cast, too, are partly responsible (Alan Tudyk, we’re looking at you). Why, just a few weeks ago at Comic-Con, while promoting “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” Summer Glau couldn’t contain herself. “Oh, I would love to go back and do another ‘Serenity’ movie,” she gushed. Um, I was asking about the comics — as in, any unfinished business with River you’d like to see in the Serenity comics?

“It’s just that I miss everyone,” she explained. “That experience for me was the best acting experience of my life. I had never really worked before, and we were truly like a family. It was an amazing and fun time for all of us. I feel so blessed that we got to do the film at all.” But, she added, “I feel at peace with it,” so if there weren’t another movie, she’d be OK.

Good, because it’s an “improbable fantasy,” Whedon said. Then again, “so was making ‘Serenity’ [given the cancellation of 'Firefly'], and so is half my career, which is why I never write it off.”

Like Summer, “I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Whedon said, “because I love those people so much.” But that doesn’t change the fact that the rumors are not being circulated “by anyone who owns a studio,” and “nobody’s knocking on our door.”

“There’s been no movement,” he said. “Those rumors are just rumors, and I don’t think they’re going to stop, no matter how many times I say, ‘No, it’s not happening.’ Because somebody will say, ‘He said yes. His eyes said yes. His nose said yes. There was a yes-iness about him.’ Because people want it.”

Do you want another “Serenity”? If you had $50 million, would you bankroll it? Why or why not?

Everything Movies | Comments Off

With Tropic Thunder coming out in theaters today, we thought we'd feature Jack Black as our fifth installment of Reel Movie Stars.

Jack Black was born in Redondo Beach, California in 1969 and decided he would become an actor after a game of Freeze after a Passover seder as a kid. After attending Crossroads School where he excelled in drama, he went on to attend UCLA until he dropped out to persue his career in acting.

It appeared his decision paid off as he was cast in small roles in movies such as Demolition Man and Waterworld and with television roles on shows such as Mr. Show and The X-Files.

Black's acting career really broke through with his role in the 2000 John Cusack romantic comedy, High Fidelty. Shortly after, Black became a leading man with roles in Shallow Hal, Orange County, and School of Rock. Now, as a full-fledged A-lister, it seems Black is unstoppable with big time roles in Kung Fu Panda and Tropic Thunder this year.

Jack Black is considered a member of the Frat Pack and appears in numerous of their movies and is also well known for his comedic rock band, Tenacious D.

Now for some cool Jack Black facts you may not know?

• Both of his parents were rocket scientists. His mother worked on the Hubble Space Telescope.
• Met his wife, Tanya Haden, in high school. They married after dating less than a year.
  
• Has one son, Samuel Wyatt, born on June 10, 2006. His wife is expecting their second child.
  
• Often competes with Philp Seymour Hoffman for roles, considers Hoffman his nemesis.

Get ready to laugh as you check out the following photo montage of Jack Black and be sure to check out his full bio and filmography on our site.

Everything Movies | Comments Off

On August 20, Rainn Wilson is ready to rock!

He stars as Robert Fishman in the comedy The Rocker. A handful of critics around the nation have weighed in with their opinion on the upcoming movie...

- It's modestly entertaining, occasionally funny, and generally agreeable. I just don't think Wilson should quit his day job yet... -- Robert D. Snider

- Rainn Wilson has already been typecast as "that weird, crazy guy" in every role he plays, but he seems capable of more... ReelzChannel

- It’s exactly the kind of film that I’ll forget having ever seen by the time Summer is over and that’s too bad as I do love the premise of the film and I’m a fan of Rainn Wilson... Film Threat

- This is pre-packaged entertainment, a product designed to give bored teenagers something to watch on a Friday or Saturday night when steamy summer nights are getting longer and Labor Day is just around the corner... -- ReelViews

Everything Movies | Comments Off

It's already know that Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes production company has plans to remake Wes Craven's horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The new version is unlikely to include Robert Englund in the iconic role of Freddy Krueger. So, who could replace the actor in the film

As JoBlo reports: How about Oscar-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton?

The website reports that Englund is supportive of Thornton in the role - and Billy Bob does have an existing Michael Bay connection from Armageddon. Can you see him as Freddy Krueger?

Everything Movies | Comments Off

Woody Allen's latest movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, opens this weekend.

The A.V. Club recently sat down with the veteran, beloved director to discuss the film:

AVC: There's a really critical scene in the film where Javier Bardem propositions Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson and convinces them to travel with him. Could anyone but Bardem have pulled that off?
Woody Allen: That's what I was thinking before. There probably are not a lot that could. There are some that could, but you really do have to have that kind of brooding, complicated, charismatic personality to not come off like a boob, and for women to be provoked by his proposal and to think actually that it might be interesting. If I didn't have Javier to play that part, and I was making the film in Spain, I don't know if I could've found someone.

I don't really know, because I'm not familiar with the Spanish cinema, so I don't know if there's another who knows enough English, and also has that kind of complexity to him.

AVC: It's a romantic film, but would it be fair to characterize it as being ultimately pessimistic about love? One woman desires stability and the other desires passion, but both seem to be heading for different kinds of trouble.
Woody Allen: I would say the film is quite a sad film. The basic cosmetics of the film, as you watch it, are not sad, and so as you watch it, you're seeing a beautiful city and hearing wonderful music, and seeing these beautiful women and this charming guy.

So hopefully you would enjoy yourself, and there are some laughs and some moments you're interested in. [Mild spoilers follow and continue through the end of this exchange. —ed.] But when it's all over, and you tally up, you find that Javier and Penélope can't live with each other and they can't live without each other, so they're kind of tortured in their relationship.

And Scarlett Johansson knows what she doesn't want, but doesn't know what she wants, and probably will never know what she wants. And she kind of goes through life and has a relationship no matter what it is, and thinks, "This is the one that's going to give me a sense of fulfillment." And then over time it palls, because there's a discomfort in her, there's an anxiety inside her that she attaches to every relationship sooner or later, and thinks that it's the relationship, when in fact the shortcoming is in her. And she'll never really find exactly what she's looking for.

And Rebecca Hall would've loved to have some kind of exotic relationship with this person [Bardem], but in the end, she's just too scared and not the type, and she handles it awkwardly. And she is probably going to be some version of the marriage of Patricia Clarkson and her husband.

Maybe not identical, but her husband will probably, as years pass, be the guy that plays golf and maybe gets the boat, and they will have a stable, functioning marriage that's not the worst in the world, but will never reach any great heights at all. So on the whole, I do feel that it's a very pessimistic picture, and sad.

Everything Movies | Comments Off

The movie stars Beyonce Knowles (hot) and Ali Larter (also hot), so what should the makers of “Obsessed” put on their posters when the film gets released next year?

“A great movie,” said star Idris Elba, adding with a smile. “Even if it has the ugliest cast you’ve ever seen in your life!”

Ok, so he’s kidding about the stars being ugly (duh), but Beyonce and Larter do both get their hands pretty dirty pretty quick, Elba revealed, in a plot that purposively recalls “Fatal Attraction.” Without the rabbit stew, unfortunately, but “Fatal Attraction” nonetheless.

“Beyonce and I are a married couple and a temp that works at my office ends up falling in love with me and it all goes crazy,” Elba said of the fim’s set-up, which pits the two ladies against each other in chilling love triangle. “It’s a thriller.”

But while the plot may sound familiar, the Beyonce you’ll see will be anything but, Elba insisted. Indeed, “Obsessed” is really the actress’s first role that doesn’t include singing (”Dreamgirls” and “Cadillac Records”) or, well, being an idiot. (”Austin Powers.”)

So how does the once and future chanteuse hold up?

“That’s the question a lot of people are asking me. Can she pull it off,” Elba recalled. “And she can. She’s really good.”

Looking forward to seeing Beyonce in “Obsessed”? Think she has the chops to pull it off? Sound off below.

Everything Movies | Comments Off