And when I say ridiculous, I mean "WTF is going on in this flick!?" I'm not sure when this new red band trailer for Tropic Thunderwent off the deep end: Was it when Ben Stiller took a young child who was stabbing him in the back (literally) and threw him off a bridge, or was it when Stiller was holding up the decapitated head of a soldier and sticking his tongue up to its guts. Oh, I'm totally not kidding about any of that, either -- this one looks completely out of control. Kudos to Stiller; for awhile there, it looked like he was way past his prime. With Tropic Thunder, something tells me the entire crew downed a case of "something real good" and said, "Screw it, let's just go absolutely nuts with this one and really freak people out."
Tropic Thunder stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. (who's cursing in every scene ... as a black man), Brandon T. Jackson and Jay Baruchel as a group of actors shooting a Platoon-esque war film in the jungle. When that film's director (as played by Steve Coogan) decides these guys need to be "in the sh*t," the gang wind up face to face with an army of real soldiers. I can't even begin to explain this trailer -- it's probably the most disturbing, yet oddly hilarious piece of marketing material I've seen all year.
Go here. Enter your age. Let us know what you think. Tropic Thunder hits theaters on August 15.
I first heard about this film from my friend Aaron, who, honestly, hasn't stopped talking about it for over a year. He caught a screening of it at last year's Tribeca Film Festival, and absolutely fell in love. Another friend of mine was at the same screening and he loved it. Lots of people are loving it. I'm dying to love it. Will you love it, too? Moviefone has debuted the trailer for In Search of a Midnight Kiss (watch above or over on Moviefone), directed by Alex Holdridge. The film, which was shot guerrilla-style in Los Angeles after something like a two-week prep period, tells of a man who's just suffered through one of the most miserable years of his life. When his friend convinces him to post a personal ad on Craigslist (in order to avoid being alone on New Year's Eve), a girl searching for the perfect midnight kiss answers. Thus begins an eventful night that neither one will ever forget.
I'm really diggin' this trailer; definitely one of my favorites of the year so far. Well edited, well scored -- looks like my cup of Friday spiked tea. You?In Search of a Midnight Kiss hits theaters on August 1.
Man, I am absolutely loving the posters they're creating for The Dark Knight. Sure, there's been like 9, 10, 357 of them, but each one packs a solid punch. Batman On Film have debuted the latest of the batch, which, obviously, showcases the film's big villain: The Joker. Only thing I don't get about this poster is why they would put the words 'Coming Soon' underneath? Why not show off the film's July 18th release date?
For those who haven't stopped in to hang out here for awhile, The Dark Knight has been a subject of debate lately. First, Elisabeth wrote a Fan Rant on the selling of that Joker toy, and how some folks are cleaning out the supply, jacking up the prices and selling it on eBay -- profiting off Ledger's death and the increased demand for a collectible. Meanwhile, I pondered whether Ledger may get himself an Oscar nod out of this role; how it's about damn time we start recognizing the wonderful performances in these fanboy flicks, instead of focusing solely on special effects and sound editing. So feel free to chime in here or on those other posts. Unlike the poster, we'll tell you The Dark Knight arrives in theaters on July 18.
Welcome back to another edition of Insert Caption -- the game everyone in Narnia was talking about a thousand years from now! Last week we asked you to dust off that pimpin' fedora and come up with a caption for a photo from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- which, for those who've been counting down the seconds (looks away in shame!), hits theaters in less than one week! Congrats to Anthony T. (who won the first three Indiana Jones films on DVD) for a caption that was, well, a real hidden treasure.
1. "We've finally made it to the tomb of the ... Goddammit Nicolas Cage!!!! What are you doing here?!!" -- Anthony T.
2. "Unbeknownst to the two adventurers, the shadowy figure behind them had just enough silly string left to seal their doom..." Sean A.
3. "Geez, Dr. Jones. I know I told you I'd help you clean out your attic, but I'm going to need more than $10 an hour..." -- Pete M.
This week we're all returning to the land of Narnia in honor of the highly-anticipated sequel to The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. We're not asking you to take out the villains and save a prince, mind you, but we would like a funny caption for the photo below. In return, you see, three lucky winners will be awarded one Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian cast-signed poster, one Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian soundtrack and one Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian illustrated "making of" book. You know the drill ...
Cinematical just received a tasty little scoop from one of our trusty top secret super delegate Hollywood insiders, and it's purty interesting (all you Spidey fans might want to listen up): Apparently, in the last few weeks, James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) has turned in a working draft of Spider-Man 4to the studio. However, according to our source, "his story arc has encompassed two films, making Spider-Man 5 shootable at the same time. The studio saw dollar signs and is in the process of reworking his deal to snatch up the story arc." Don't expect anything immediately, though, since we've been told both sides are still trying to negotiate the deal.
Right now we have no word on what that arc is or where Vanderbilt is taking his script, but it's interesting to know that they're looking to spread the next Spidey storyline across two films, instead of shooting one more and taking it from there. Obviously Sony has wiped away the bad buzz from Spidey 3 and is interested in stretching this franchise as far as they can. After three flicks, I can't see Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst returning to shoot two Spider-Man films together (would be a lot to take on), but you never know. In the meantime, here's what we know: Looks like Vanderbilt is writing Spider-Man 4and Spider-Man 5, and the studio might look to shoot both flicks at the same time. As of right now, the studio has no comment. We'll update this post should we hear more ...
An extended clip from M. Night Shyamalan's new film The Happeningis now online (watch it above or in higher quality over on Yahoo), with an introduction from M. Night himself saying how he was inspired by films like The Godfather and The Exorcist. What we get are snippets of scenes we've seen previously from the trailers, as well as the extended version of the train scene when Mark Wahlberg walks up to those conductors and says, "With whom?" (I love that part and I don't know why.) This is M. Night's first R-rated film, and he claims it's "the scariest movie he's ever made." I guess we'll see about that.
Or maybe someone already did. Yes, folks, there's the "early screening scooper" over at Collider who's written in with a very, very negative review of The Happening (check it out here, but watch for spoilers). This person goes after the acting most of all, as well as the awkward pacing -- going so far as to say "it's bad on an epic scale." Now it's clear M. Night asked for a certain small town, passive-aggressive tone out of Wahlberg, which he's delivered before (to a certain degree) in films like Boogie Nights. But I do agree that his whole shtick seems very odd here, though we're seeing one scene out of context so I won't go off and declare The Happening an absolute failure.
Personally, I hope this film is good. I WANT to love this thing. It looks creepy and uncomfortable, and I dig that about it. Who knows; fingers crossed. The Happening lands in theaters on Friday, June 13th.
UPDATE: JoBlo has revealed a new Red Band trailer for The Happening. Check it out over here. (P.S. And it might contain spoilers, so beware!)
Maybe I'm just in one of those moods today, but these illustrations cracked me up. I stumbled across the blog for this dude Donald Soffritti while surfing, and though it's all in Italian, it would appear as if the entire site is dedicated to his drawings of superheroes after they've grown old. The image of Batman and Robin above is definitely my favorite, although a close second would be Thor (because he looks exactly like my cousin), Aquaman (the fish bowl and warms got me) and the one of Galactus and Silver Surfer (just because a really old Surfer is amusing). There's also a comic strip on his blog called Super Zeros featuring, what looks like, Batman and Wonder Woman as young, fat kids. No joke. Perhaps someone who reads Italian can let us know what he has to say about some of this; nevertheless, I've had a ball looking at them all. (When is someone gonna make THAT movie!?) You can see a few of my favorites in the gallery below, and head over to Soffritti's blog to see the rest.
The first trailer for City of Ember has just arrived online (watch it above or over on the film's official site). Cinematical premiered the teaser poster for City of Ember not long ago, and it looks like the folks from 20th Century Fox and Walden Media are itching to get the buzz going on this one by debuting a trailer long before the film's October 10th release date. This will also be the same trailer that plays in front of Prince Caspian this weekend. Based on the best-selling novel, City of Ember was produced by Tom Hanks and stars Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau, Toby Jones and Harry Treadaway. Directed by Gil Kenan (Monster House), the synopsis for Ember looks like this:
"For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights - underground. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing . . . and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, and help the citizens escape before the lights go out forever."
What say you? I think it definitely has potential, especially with that cast. (Seems like a cool book, too.)
An early Cannes favorite, Cinematical's Kim Voynar describes Waltz with Bashiras a "beautiful, disturbing and deeply compelling film" that "could wind up with an Oscar nod come January." The animation looks stunning (love the gold in those beach scenes), and I'd definitely agree with Spout's Karina Longworth who calls it "Grand Theft Auto: Beirut, Meets A Scanner Darkly" in the title of her post showcasing the trailer above. More from Kim's Cannes review: "Waltz with Bashir documents the struggle of the filmmaker, Ari Folman, to come to terms with the gaps in his memory surrounding the part he played in the first Lebanese war and the 1982 massacre of Palestinian civilians in the West Beirut refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila."
I'm not sure what they're putting in the water over in Cannes, but some pretty wild deals are beginning to emerge from that fest in France. Only a day after Werner Herzog signed to direct Nicolas Cage in a remake of Bad Lieutenantcomes word from The Hollywood Reporter that Herzog and David Lynch have teamed up on a film called My Son; a murder drama to be tentatively shot next March. Based on a true story, My Son will tell of a "San Diego man who acts out a Sophocles play in his mind and kills his mother with a sword." HR says the film will jump between the murder scene and this disturbed man's story. Nice family film from two completely sane directors.
Additionally, and this shouldn't come as a surprise (considering the two guys we're talking about), My Son will be shot guerrilla-style with digital video. Herzog, who co-wrote My Son with Herbert Golder, will first shoot Bad Lieutenant in July before directing the Victorian-era drama The Piano Tuner for Focus Features. One can only imagine what the finished product will look like when you've got Herzog and Lynch working together on the same movie -- especially one with a nutty storyline like this one. Not for nothing, but I think I'd rather watch the documentary of them making this film rather than the film itself. You?
UPDATE: We've been asked to take down the trailer as it hasn't been approved for distribution yet. Note: You might want to kick up the speakers a bit here; this one comes in a tad low.
Above you will find the first trailer for the film Traitor, starring Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce and Jeff Daniels. The wild thing about this film is that Steve Martin (yes, THE Steve Martin) came up with the idea for Traitor, though he left scripting duties to writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff. Based on what we see above, Traitor seems like one of those "have fun figuring it out" types. Pearce plays a straight-edge FBI agent who heads an investigation on international conspiracy, where all clues lead back to former U.S. Special Operations office, Samir Horn (Cheadle). Thus begins what appears to be a dangerous cat and mouse game between the two -- with Daniels playing a veteran CIA contractor with his own agenda.
What I'm liking about this one is that Cheadle looks pretty rough, tough and ready to rumble -- and we don't get to see him much in roles where he can beat the living hell out of anyone within shouting distance. Go Don Cheadle! That guy always gives a tremendous performance, so no matter what I believe Traitor will be worth the watch just to see Cheadle in action. But let us know what you think.
When Heath Ledger passed away earlier this year, he left the planet as one of this generation's great actors; a guy who battled many personal demons off the screen, for sure, but one who gave everything to the role. And while we won't get to see his latest creation on the big screen until July 18th, early footage shows Ledger's version of Batman's arch-nemesis could go down as the darkest, baddest and craziest we've ever seen. My question to you, then, is: Will it be enough to land Ledger another Oscar nod come next year?
Sure, the Academy isn't all too keen on recognizing superhero movies unless we're talking about special effects or sound editing, but with bigger actors taking on riskier comic-related roles, isn't only a matter of time before one of these guys (or girls) turns out a performance worthy of a gold statue? Are these characters not meaty enough; are they not conflicted, troubled and crying out for a hug? If an Oscar can go to Javier Bardem for playing a sadistic, calculated murderer in No Country for Old Men, and Johnny Depp can be nominated for playing a sadistic, calculated murderer -- both in the same year -- I see no reason why Ledger's Joker can't be taken into consideration.
It's early still, I realize that -- but should this guy turn in the kind of performance we're all expecting, shouldn't he be recognized with an Oscar nomination? What are the chances here, folks?
I don't remember the last book that had a viral campaign behind it. I'm not talking about a graphic novel or a comic book; I'm talking a straight-up novel -- one that showcases a flashy website with viral videos, tour dates and erotic images. Furthermore, I'm talking about Chuck Palahniuk's new book, Snuff (which streets on May 20). Palahniuk, as most of us already know, wrote the books Fight Cluband Choke -- the latter of which just pushed back its August release date to September 26 after premiering to some pretty positive buzz earlier this year at Sundance. Snuff, in case you're wondering, tells the story of Cassie Wright; a porn actress who wants to set a record by having sex with 600 guys at the same time ... or something like that. The book itself is told from the perspective of the guys trying to fulfill her wishes.
What I find interesting about this viral campaign is that they've gone ahead and shot mock trailers for Cassie's films, like The Wizard of Ass (posted after the jump for certain NSFW reasons). Not only that, but Chuck himself sat down to interview "Cassie" as well (check out that three-parter over here, toward the bottom of the page). My question is this: Do strange viral videos like the ones being offered here take anything away from the book? Normally, we'll see this sort of stuff when the book is being turned into a movie, but not before the book itself even hits shelves. Could this also be a way to showcase the visual aspects of said book to potential Hollywood buyers, or do you feel snuff, er, stuff like this is simply for the fans and no one else?
Ever since director Jason Reitman knocked one out of the ballpark with Juno, folks have been itching to see what the man takes on next. Yes, he's taken to producing a few things (like the Diablo Cody-penned Jennifer's Body), but what, exactly, will be his next directorial project. Well, according to Latino Review, they've heard from a source that the younger Reitman will direct an adaptation of the novel Up in the Air, written by Thumbsucker author Walter Kirn. Apparently, some digging reveals that Jason's dad Ivan Reitman is already executive producing the film after picking up a script from Sheldon Turner back in 2003.
Recently, Reitman told MTV that he was "writing something" and would "direct it at the end of the year." When pushed to reveal something, anything, Reitman said "it's a comedy and a drama [book adaptation]. Think Thank You For Smoking, but instead of political it's corporate." And if you look at the synopsis for Up in the Air over on Amazon (I've never read the book personally), it fits right into the above description.
Here's a taste: "Officially, Bingham is a management consultant, specializing in the lugubrious field of career transition counseling (i.e., he fires people for a living). But what Kirn's airborne protagonist is really doing is pursuing his own private passion, his great white whale: accumulating one million miles in his frequent-flyer account. As Up in the Air opens, Bingham has set out on a final, epic traveling jag. He intends to visit eight cities in six days, thereby achieving his own vision of Nirvana somewhere over Sioux Falls, South Dakota."
No official word on this one yet, but the pieces definitely seem to be coming together. Anyone read the book? Is it a good fit for Reitman?
UPDATE: LR provides the following update: I just got off the horn with Jason Reitman's publicist. She did in fact confirm that Jason is adapting the book but that no deal is YET in place for him to direct.
Yup, she's at it again. Not long ago, Jessica Alba recreated several memorable scenes from classic horror movies for Latina Magazine. Now she's back, and in honor of her upcoming comedy The Love Guru, the actress posed for a photo as comedy legend Charlie Chaplin for the June issue of Allure magazine. It's actually a pretty funny photo, considering Alba's pretty pregnant under all those clothes. Definitely not as bad as those horror shots; in those pics, the gal barely looked like she was trying. Here, at least, she widens her eyes and does a little something with her mouth. Eh? Can you tell I'm reaching here? Let's not even touch the fact that she's posing as Chaplin to promote The Love Guru. I think we should make a rule right now: No one is allowed to pose as a comedy icon unless, ya know, that person also happens to be kinda funny on the big screen.
Check out Alba's last "recreation stint" in the gallery below.
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1. "We've finally made it to the tomb of the ... Goddammit Nicolas Cage!!!! What are you doing here?!!" -- Anthony T.
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I'm not sure what they're putting in the water over in Cannes, but some pretty wild deals are beginning to emerge from that fest in France. Only a day after 
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I don't remember the last book that had a viral campaign behind it. I'm not talking about a graphic novel or a comic book; I'm talking a straight-up novel -- one that showcases a flashy website with viral videos, tour dates and erotic images. Furthermore, I'm talking about Chuck Palahniuk's new book, 
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SCOOP: Spider-Man 4 and 5 Might be Shot at the Same Time!
Cinematical Seven: Disney's Awesome Live-Action Kid Adventures
