| After a Decade, Ben Affleck & Matt Damon's 'Project Greenlight' Is Back Posted:  Aspiring directors, get your cameras rolling! HBO announced today that it is re-teaming with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on a new season of "Project Greenlight." It's been nearly a decade since "Project Greenlight" was last on television. The series, which was created and produced by Affleck and Damon, followed a selected filmmaker as he directed his first feature film. "Project Greenlight" ran for two seasons on HBO, in 2002 and 2003, then for a third season on Bravo in 2005. "Project Greenlight was ahead of its time. Now that technology has caught up to the concept, we thought it was a perfect time to bring it back," Affleck said. "A whole new generation of filmmakers has grown up sharing everything, and the next big director could be just an upload away." For the fourth season, a digital competition will yield a winner who directs a "Hollywood-vetted" script. And just as before, cameras will follow the director as he goes through the stages of casting, shooting, and editing. "Careers have been launched and sustained as a direct result of this contest. Pete Jones, John Gulager, Patrick Melton, and Marcus Dunstan are just a few of the PGL alums who've gone on to do great things in Hollywood, and Ben and I are really proud of that," Damon said. Maybe this time, Affleck can sprinkle some of his Best Picture Oscar-winning magic around. AP Photo/Dan Steinberg This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Extant' Trailer: Halle Berry Returns From Space, and She's Not Alone (VIDEO) Posted:  After seeing "Gravity," it felt like the scariest part about space was being alone. Turns out, it's creepier to realize you're not. That's the premise of the first trailer for the CBS event series "Extant," which is produced by Steven Spielberg and stars Halle Berry. The Oscar winner plays astronaut Molly Woods, who returns from a 13-month solo mission to discover she's pregnant. By whom? (Or should we say what?) As the government starts snooping around her life, her young son starts saying some very strange things. Regarding a drawing he made, he says, "I put the family in the spaceship so they'd be safe ... from extinction." CBS clearly is a fan of these sci-fi summer event series, and no wonder - "Under the Dome" performed very well for them last year. If "Extant" can do the same, the kid won't have to worry about extinction. "Extant" premieres Wednesday, July 9. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hugh Jackman Is '99.9% Sure' the Next Wolverine Movie Will Be His Last Posted:  We're less than a month away from the next installment in the "X-Men" franchise, so naturally it's a great time to start talking about the next installment of an "X-Men" spin-off, right? Hugh Jackman is game to chat about the future of Wolverine, but he's not making any promises. Jackman sat down with SFX magazine to talk about " X-Men: Days of Future Past," and the subject of last summer's "Wolverine" came up. We've all been assuming that a sequel to James Mangold's "Wolverine" was in the bag since it was such a success -- and because Mangold and Jackman haven't been shy about talking about the possibilities of a sequel. However, "I'm excited to see what we can come up with, but I haven't signed on. I'm genuinely at that point where unless it's better than the last one I'm not going to do it." Mangold is still developing the project with Jackman, but the star remains cagey. "If I did another one I'm 99.9% sure it would be the last, so that will inform what it is for me," he said. And it's got to be even better than the last "Wolverine" to get him to sign on the dotted line. "I think it has to be better," Jackman said. "I can still see where we can improve on the last one. I love the intimacy of that story, I liked the small stuff, I liked that it was a little unexpected." Truth be told, that's what snagged the attention of audiences, who were a little wary of a stand-alone "Wolverine" after the 2009 film. Now that they've gotten a taste, they want more -- but will Jackman give it to them? [via Slashfilm] Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Is Still Looking for a Second Lead Actress Posted:  Yesterday brought us big "Star Wars" news -- the announcement of the cast of "Star Wars: Episode VII." But it seems that director J.J. Abrams isn't completely done with casting yet. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Abrams is still searching for another female lead alongside Daisy Ridley. That makes a lot of sense, as Ridley was the only woman in the list of new cast members, including John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaacs, and Max von Sydow. (Carrie Fisher will be reprising her role as Princess Leia.) THR had earlier reported that Abrams wanted to find a mixed-race actress in her 20s and noted that the director met with Oscar nominee Lupita Nyong'o a few months ago. And as we noted when the cast announcement came out, Maisie Richardson-Sellers wasn't part of it, but has been rumored to be up for a role. We'll find out soon enough as filming begins this month. "Star Wars: Episode VII" is due in theaters December 2015. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Is a 'Joe Dirt' Sequel in the Works? Sort Of. Posted:  When their participants are on point, Reddit AMAs can be hilarious and insightful, gut-wrenching, awesome, or freaky. David Spade did an AMA this morning, and he was surprisingly game to discuss anything from the Razzie Awards to skateboarding accidents and the late Chris Farley. Also, that "a lot of people have sweaty hands, and when they come up to me it's like shaking hands with a sham-wow." What seemed to get him talking the most was " Joe Dirt," the 2001 movie about a radio station janitor whose life stories mesmerize audiences and turn him into a star. "Joe Dirt" played on some rather tasteless class tropes, not the least of which was Spade's majestic mullet wig. In any case, one Redditor asked about a possible sequel, which Spade was all too eager to discuss. "We wrote a sequel, and we may wind up doing it on Crackle.com, because they want to be the first web address to do a sequel to a movie. Because Sony owns them, and it's a Sony movie. We're trying to find a way to make it for the budget, but we really want to do it. And keep it good." Spade added, "I would ask Christopher Walken and Kid Rock to be in it again. And to take less money, if at all possible, than the amount they took the first time." Well, sure. Why not? The real question is what happened to Joe's magnificent mullet. Spade revealed, "The Joe Dirt wig was itchy. And one time, I walked away from the set at a TV studio when we were doing some Dennis Miller stuff, and I got lost, and I had my janitor's uniform on, and the security guard wouldn't let me back into where I was supposed to go, and I didn't have a cell phone, so I had to sit there for 15 minutes until some PA came to look for me, and I had to explain to them that I was dressed as a janitor with a wig on, and that was an actual story, that sounds fake but it was funny to me. Long story short: I loved the wig, I thought it was hilarious, it was hard to wear all summer but it cracks me up. I think it's in some vault somewhere in the Smithsonian right now, surrounded by guards." "Joe Dirt 2: Night at the Smithsonian"? And what about all those Razzies? Well, Spade has a pretty zen attitude about them. "I think they go after Adam a lot on purpose, to try to drum up some attention, like Jack & Jill nominating him for actor & actress, that's like a mean trick by the Razzies to try to get more press for their own organization. But most of my favorite people have won Razzies, so I'm not that worried about it." [Via Filmdrunk] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Diane Keaton Is Really Bad at Beer Pong. Or Is She? (VIDEO) Posted:  That Jimmy Fallon is such a rascal! Last night he was up to his old "Tonight Show" tricks with Diane Keaton, whom he'd engaged in a beer pong battle. Actually, make that a red wine pong battle. With ice. The thing with booze pong is winning means the other person is "forced" to drink, which makes us wonder who the real winner is in that situation. Keaton, who was barefoot and wearing a snappy bowler, sussed this out pretty quickly and spent most of the time throwing ping pong balls at Fallon and drinking the wine. Smart lady. Keaton is out promoting her new book "Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty," which deals with beauty and bucking the Hollywood system. It also has quite a bit about the beautiful men she's loved, from Warren Beatty to Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson. She told More, "I have a list of all the men I've kissed... The only one I've missed, really, is Matthew McConaughey." Alright, etc. Keaton's next film, "And So It Goes," pairs her with another Hollywood legend, Michael Douglas. The Rob Reiner comedy is about a cranky real estate agent (Douglas, natch) who's suddenly saddled with the role of grandpa after his son heads to jail. Keaton plays a lounge singer and love interest who lives next door. Reiner told USA Today, "She actually does like the bad boys... She likes a guy who is a little rough around the edges." And so it goes, indeed. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Mean Girls': Why the Tina Fey Comedy is Still the Best Modern Teen Movie Posted: To celebrate today's 10th anniversary of "Mean Girls," everyone should do what I did last night and rewatch the hilarious high-school flick (it's currently available to stream just about everywhere, but I admit to owning it on DVD). There's a reason we're making a big deal about the biting comedy's decade mark. In the 10 years since "Mean Girls" was released, no other realistic teen comedy (meaning not the ones about magical orphans, sparkling vampires, or dystopian warriors) has come close to becoming as much a cultural touchstone as the Tina Fey-penned, Mark Waters-directed classic. Waters, who in the ensuing decade has directed or produced seven films, including "500 Days of Summer," "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," and "Vampire Academy," told Moviefone that he thinks the reason "Mean Girls" still resonates with audiences is that essentially the high-school experience is the same one generation to the next. "The big theme of 'Mean Girls' is that in high school you feel like you're in a battle you have to survive every single day," Waters said. "It only takes a year or two to realize that's not the way life actually is, but while you're in it, it's a deadly, overwhelming feeling." But of course, that battleground mentality is just a metaphor, because if you depict high school life too earnestly, it will backfire, Waters says, recalling how many teen-targeted movies (particularly adaptations) have failed, "because they suffer from that dreadful sincerity and taking themselves too seriously." Part of an elite slate of high-school comedies that have gone the distance ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Clueless," "Heathers," "The Breakfast Club"), "Mean Girls" isn't a shallow raunch-fest about losing your virginity or scoring booze for party or a cliché melodrama about all the feels of an angst-ridden junior year. "Mean Girls" is as smart as it is funny, with subversive and feminist commentary that demands multiple viewings to fully appreciate (I for one, think the Calculus scene between Cady and Aaron -- "Wrong, wrong, so wrong... Thanks, I get it now" -- should be required viewing for intelligent girls who feel the need to "dumb it down" for a guy). Waters admits that, of course, the movie has (slightly) exaggerated representations of high-school life, like the cliques ("if you break the rules, you can't sit with us anymore") and the cafeteria's social hierarchy (JV Jocks, Asian Nerds, Cool Asians, Varsity Jocks, Unfriendly Black Hotties, Sexually Active Band Geeks, etc.) and the whole "Girlworld" idea of Halloween ("lingerie and some sort of animal ears"). But Waters wisely concludes that that's part of the "Mean Girls" legacy: "It's very stylized, over-the-top humor, but that's the enduring appeal: audiences know -- or remember -- that this is exactly how high school goes down. It's turbulent and exciting, while you're in it." It's easy to look back and examine why "Mean Girls" is better than the countless forgettable teen comedies that come and go each year (OK, we'll give you "Easy A," but you won't find a critical mass quoting "Fun Size" or "The Virginity Hit" or "Geography Club" any time soon... or ever), but back in 2004, Waters insists that he and Fey had no idea "Mean Girls" was going to be such a huge hit for a subsequent generation of audiences. "We honestly just wanted to make something that was for us and weren't trying to please anyone else but ourselves," he said. "But I love that it's this emblematic movie that speaks to anyone who remembers the sting of high school... and can laugh about it." The authenticity, the performances, the witty dialogue, the well-developed secondary characters -- there are so many reasons to love "Mean Girls." But we hope in 2024, there will be another Big Teen Comedy to commemorate. That would be Fetch. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Patrick Stewart & Seth MacFarlane Are Teaming Up for a New Comedy Series Posted:  Patrick Stewart is no stranger to comedy, if his delightful friendship with fellow Brit Ian McKellen is any indication. Now, the actor is taking his talent for humor from the Twitter timeline to the small screen, where he's set to star in a series produced by Seth MacFarlane. Stewart will play the lead in "Blunt Talk," a half-hour comedy on the Starz network, which focuses on Walter Blunt, a British newscaster hoping to make the leap to American cable news. The show was created and will be co-produced by Jonathan Ames (HBO's "Bored to Death"). MacFarlane and Stewart previously collaborated together on MacFarlane's animated Fox series, "American Dad," for which Stewart has provided some voiceover work. "In the character of Walter Blunt, Seth, Jonathan and Patrick have found the alchemy that makes a borderline alcoholic, mad-genius-Brit the man you want fighting in America's corner," said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht. "Seth and Jonathan have struck the right balance between biting wit and outright absurdity in building this world, and we cannot wait for Patrick to breathe life into Walter." Starz has already committed to producing two seasons and 20 episodes of the series, after it won a bidding war for the show with Showtime and Netflix. "Blunt Talk" is set to premiere sometime next year. [via Variety] Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hot Docs 2014: 'Kings of the Wind & Electric Queens' Review Posted: One of the best parts of the Hot Docs Film Festival is its ability to bring exotic images from the far corners of the planet to Canada. Over the years there have been films about pirates in Somalia, child armies running wild in Columbia, and sauna culture in Finland. Enter a new tale: an explosively colourful, unusual, and even baffling visual feast from India called "Kings of the Wind & Electric Queens." The setting is The Sonepur Fair, an Indian region that borders Nepal. It's dusty, humid and hot, and the countryside is a little rundown. The rivers Ganges and Gandak run along the fairgrounds, where hundreds of pilgrims wash and converse. While it offers a midway, dancing, singing and motor sports, it's not the most modern-looking of events; think traditional India meets " Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." The fair takes place every November, on the full moon day of Kartika Purnima. It has been a destination for centuries. Sonepur is an animal trading market, a stunt festival, a beauty contest and a social celebration all in one. Early images in the film include an elephant being washed in the river, a mechanic building a motorbike engine part by part, and a somewhat rickety-looking big-top circus tent being raised. With no narration, this observational doc may leave you wondering what the heck this fair is all about, and what the attendees are doing there, but this tightrope-style viewing is what makes this film so curious and fun to watch. As the lens travels through the dust and the people, it captures horses and donkeys being brought in for trade, mystics and fortunetellers vying for attention, and a woman possessed near the river being flogged by holy men and cleansed with smoke. In another scene, hundreds of men wait in line to watch a stage chock-full of young beauties shaking their bodies and wearing sexy skin-tight saris. Music is blaring from speakers at every corner, most of the sounds blending traditional Indian music with modern auto-tuned vocals. French filmmakers Cédric Dupire and Gaspard Kuentz are at the helm on this one. You may have caught one of their last docs, "We Don't Care About Music Anyway" & " The Right Man at the Right Place." I can only imagine how hard it was for these two Frenchmen to blend into the scads of people enjoying the Indian midway, but somehow the attention that they and their cameras must have garnered doesn't get in the way of the storytelling. There's a lot of fantastic imagery to work with here, but it's their skill of editing this doc to make it look almost like a pop video that makes it jump off the screen. For westerners, this is the stuff of far-off lands, strange and unusual in their customs and celebrations. Clocking in at just under an hour, this is the perfect doc to get lost in. Enjoy scratching your head at the wild images in a world which too often believes that there's nothing left to discover. SCREENING Scotiabank Theatre 7, Thurs., May 1, 4:30 p.m. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bob Hoskins Dead at Age 71 Posted: (AP) - British actor Bob Hoskins, whose varied career ranged from noir drama "Mona Lisa" to animated fantasy " Who Framed Roger Rabbit" has died aged 71. A family statement released Wednesday by agent Clair Dobbs said Hoskins died in a hospital after a bout of pneumonia. A versatile character actor capable of menace, quiet poignancy and Cockney charm, London-raised Hoskins appeared in some of the most acclaimed British films of the past few decades, including gangster classic " The Long Good Friday." He specialized in tough guys with a soft center, including the ex-con who chaperones Cathy Tyson's escort in Neil Jordan's 1986 film "Mona Lisa." Hoskins was nominated for a best-actor Academy Award for the role. His Hollywood breakthrough came as a detective investigating cartoon crime in the part-animated 1988 hit "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." He also played the pirate Smee in Steven Spielberg's 1991 Peter Pan movie " Hook." In 2012 Hoskins announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was retiring from acting. His last role was as one of the seven dwarves in "Snow White & The Huntsman," starring Kristen Stewart. "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Bob," said a statement from wife Linda and children Alex, Sarah, Rosa and Jack. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2014 Summer Movies: 12 Must-See Alternatives to Hollywood Blockbusters Posted:  Imagine if the summer was truly owned by Hollywood blockbusters. Like, exclusively. Every weekend, from now through August, would see the release of only movies about superheroes and demigods and giant robots and giant monsters and giant animated dragons, with the occasional star-studded comedy thrown in for an alternative option here and there. Fortunately, that's not the case. There's plenty of counter-programming happening over the next four months for those of us who want something besides all the big sequels and sci-fi flicks. If there's anything released by the studios you want to avoid, there's sure to be another film worth seeing. Below are our 12 most anticipated independent releases for this summer, and don't worry if you think you live somewhere that, at first, seems exclusively owned by the blockbusters: While many of the following films open theatrically in limited release, some of them will be available via Video On Demand either simultaneously or soon after. (Those we know about have been noted). Article photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New DVD Blu-ray: 'Labor Day,' 'Sophie's Choice,' and More Posted: Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week "Escape from Tomorrow" What's It About? A trip to the House of Mouse becomes a surreal nightmare for a father of two. Why We're IN: Filmed secretly on location at Disney World and Disneyland, "Escape from Tomorrow" is creepier than "It's a Small World." Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week "Il Sorpasso" (Criterion) What's It About? A wild bachelor and an uptight law student go on a road trip for the ages in this adored Italian comedy. Why We're IN: It's been spiffed up and digitally restored, and even the subtitles got a makeover. Plus, there are all the Criterion bells and whistles we know and love. New on DVD and Blu-ray "Bad Country" What's It About? Willem Dafoe and Matt Dillon star as a cop and a criminal who are forced to work together to bring down an even bigger baddie. Neal McDonough, who freaked everyone out in "Justified," co-stars IN or OUT: Out. "The Best Offer" What's It About? An antiques dealer (Geoffrey Rush) doesn't particularly like dealing with people, and his latest client is a young woman who's definitely a pain in the keister. Will her weird ways teach this old dog new tricks? IN or OUT: This arty drama/thriller charmed critics, though it didn't get much of a theatrical release. Hitchcock fans might want to check it out. "Devil's Due" What's It About? Something weird happened on Zach and Samantha McCall's honeymoon, and nine months later, Samantha's pregnancy seems anything but normal. IN or OUT: More found footage horror? Now that's a scary idea. "Gimme Shelter" What's It About? Sadly, this is not the classic Rolling Stones doc by the Maysles' brothers. Disney starlet Vanessa Hudgens gets tough to play a pregnant, homeless teen with an abusive mother (Rosario Dawson). Luckily, James Earl Jones is there in non-Vader garb as a guy who helps her find her way into a shelter and a better future. IN or OUT: Out. "Labor Day" What's It About? Josh Brolin stars as a prison escapee named Frank who seeks refuge with an agoraphobic woman named Adele (Kate Winslet) and her son Henry (Gattlin Griffith). Frank fixes things around the house and cooks for them while he's avoiding authorities and holding them hostage over Labor Day weekend. He also manages to make baking a peach pie look sexy. IN or OUT: This tepid love affair will leave you hungry. "The Legend of Hercules" What's It About? Greek myth gets the "Twilight" touch with Kellan Lutz as the muscle-bound hero Hercules. Directed by Renny Harlin of "Deep Blue Sea" infamy. IN or OUT: Out, unless you're just looking for some laughs. New on Blu-ray "Gamera: Ultimate Collection" (Vol. 1 and 2) What's It About? The crazy turtle-like Kaiju from Daiei Studios destroys a whole lot of stuff in these eight (EIGHT!) films. Volume 1 is the first four films in the Gamera series, and Volume 2 is the last four. IN or OUT: If you love this fireball-spitting turtle monster, you'll want in. "Sophie's Choice" (Collector's Choice) What's It About? If you haven't seen this classic tearjerker that won Meryl Streep her first Oscar, we can't help you. IN or OUT: There aren't a ton of extras to recommend this as a fancy collector's edition, but it's a great movie to add to your collection. "The Wind and the Lion" What's It About? Warner Bros. open up their archives for this exciting action/adventure story about a woman who is kidnapped in Morocco. Sarring Candice Bergen, John Huston, and Sean Connery. IN or OUT: This isn't writer/director John Milius's finest or most well-known work (that would probably be his script for "Apocalypse Now," although he also wrote and directed "Conan the Barbarian" and "Red Dawn"), but it's still an enjoyable ride. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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