Isn't it amazing how different directors react to making bad movies. Two weeks ago I showed the trailer from the king of awful films Joel Schumacher, and to his credit in interviews he's admitted to it's flaws and agrees in places you should just laugh at it's flabby lack of tension. On the other extreme this week we have Oscar winner Jim Sheridan, whose career trajectory has been on a downward slope for some years but has not hit rock bottom with the dreadful critical and commercial response to his Daniel Craig starring horror. So much so he's asking to do an Alan Smithee and have his name removed from the credits. It doesn't matter Jim, everyone knows you're responsible. The good news is you can watch the trailer here and not have to watch the film because every twist and dramatic beat is included for you.
Dream House is released on 25 November 2011.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Tuesday Trailers - Dream House
Monday, 7 March 2011
Rachel Weisz
Happy Birthday to
Rachel Weisz
41 today
In spite of her Oscar win five years ago Rachel has yet to live up to the promises of her career post Constant Gardener, all that may be about to change with Terence Malick and David Hare collaborations in the pipeline. I'm looking forward to three of her upcoming projects in particular: adult haunted house fable Dream House, the expose on sex between classes 360 and she's the latest lady to be attached to the transgender drama The Danish Girl.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
20 for 2011: 2 - Dream House
Straining the credibility of my countdown at number 2 is Dream House.
I've been very lucky with the timing as the first shot of Dream House was released just this week, don't Daniel and Rachel look awfully vexed to you? I'm quite partial to high quality drama based direcors slumming it, and after the excellent Brothers I think this is Jim Sheridan's chance to have a bit of genre fun.
The premise involves stars Craig and Weisz moving into their dream property only to find out from the neighbours (Naomi Watts and Martin Csokas) that the previous tenants went on a Manson like killing spree. Oh, and there's a group of cult supporters of the imprisoned mass murderer who keep turning up. Cue some dramatic changes of character and nice jump cuts.
I'm hoping that the mix of Sheridan and thi fine cast indicate there's a quality script from David Loucka underneath the tired cliches of a plot. (Although frankly without this could still be a couple of hours of hokum and fun.)
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Naomi Watts
Happy Birthday to
Naomi Watts
42 today
It's been nearly ten years since Naomi Watts hit the mainstream with David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and whilst the full brilliance of th film took some time to sink in there was little doubt that Naomi would go far. Since then she's done some great work in both genre and art-house fare but nothing's quite hit the headlines in the way that film did. Coming up are the minor looking Woody Allen (based on recent reports from Toronto) You will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, the psychopath thriller Dream House and a chance to play Marilyn Monroe in Blonde all of which look very interesting propects.
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Rachel Weisz
Happy Birthday to
Rachel Weisz
39 today
Rachel didn't get quite the role our of Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones that many fans were hoping for, the adaptation even robbing the character of her arc. Maybe it will be Agora that reminds us of how much she is capable of, although personally I'm waiting to see her run in terror from Dream House.
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Film News (13/02/09)
You just can't move without finding exciting news stories this week, overall there have been 13 different press releases that have struck me as projects to look out for. That's pretty much a record for me and as a result this weeks post will be scattershot, focusless and messy. Hang on that's every Saturday news post only even worse. And on to it...
Contagion
I think we all know that I am a huge fan of Steven Soderbergh. Frankly I think he's a genius, with an enormous output and a clever way of balancing high-profile marquee productions with more intimate experimental work. This week it was announced he's working on Contagion, an international deadly virus thriller. It's not the sort of thing that has been tried on such a massive scale before (most virus plots focus on small communities such as Outbreak). It's definitely going to be one of his bigger pictures with Matt Damon, Jude Law and Kate Winslet all circling roles.
Here's a flu virus in action - Steven Soderbergh not pictured.
Read on for Penelope, Rachel and Cate casting news, 70's comedies, US Presidents, metaphoric violence, original musicals, Russian spys and social satires!
Dream House
Our first major casting story is the addition of Rachel Weisz to the it's-not-a-remake-but-sounds-exactly-the-same-as-Cold-Creek-Manor Dream House. She will be married to Daniel Craig, which in itself is quite a dreamy proposition.
Hanna
Also signing on to a new project is Cate Blanchett, who has taken an unnamed role in Joe Wright's child trained to kill flick. This shouldn't be a big surprise as there's a big hole in her schedule where Wright postponed his Lady Mountbatten/Nehru picture for Hanna in the first place.
Laverne and Shirley/New Years Eve
There seems to be some confusion about what's next on Garry Marshall's slate. New Line, sensing box office gold with this weekends Valentine's Day have already started the ball rolling on a sequel - that is using the same concept of a star studded selection of relationships all intersecting on New Years Day. Names in the hat for who'll be in that one.
In the meantime Garry's been joking(?) on the red carpets that's he's planning a big screen adaptation of "Laverne and Shirley" - the long running spin-off from "Happy Days". I'll confess I don't know the series so I can't say whether it's a good or bad thing.
Personally I'm planning on seeing Marshall's latest magnum opus this afternnon so I'll get back to you on whether I think he should be allowed behind a camera again.
Untitled LBJ Biopic
From the austin360.com website (I think it's just a local arts/tourism site) comes the news that Robert Benton is prepping for a biopic about 36th US President Lyndon B. Johnson. All we know from the story, which can be found here, is that filming will likely take place elsewhere in order to receive more favourable tax cuts. It seems that would be bad news for the Texan economy. HBO are producing so this may or may not get a theatrical release, but either way the story of LBJ is probably ripe for the telling.
Little War of Our Own
Beacon pictures have picked up Dan (The Hurricane, Murder in the First) Gordon's script about a small town drifting towards violence during the second world war, effectively mirroring the international political scene at the time. It will up to the Sheriff to keep the peace before it's too late. This could be a modern western, or just pure allegory, either way it may just work.
Melancholia/Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Penelope Cruz has hit the headlines for signing on to two widely diverse projects. The first is Lars von Trier's catastrodrama Melancholia, and the second will be seeing her square off to Johnny Depp in the next Pirates installment. Both projects, which I'll be honest I was probably going to see anyway, have just got a lot more interesting.
Robocop
The remake of the seminal 80's action thriller is not yet dead in the water. In spite of rumours that Darren Aronofsky was against shooting in 3D and that MGM were equally reticent about the R rating the director favours, writer David Self is convinced the project is still go. There are certainly practicalities about the production that need to be finalised as there would be when dealing with a "large corporation" but there's nothing major in the way. Other than Aronofsky's Black Swan, which is due to be released later this year, of course.
Song is You
Based on the novel about Arthur Philips, the story revoles around a middle aged commercial director, going through a bad patch in his life (I'm mentally casting Paul Giamatti) who feels a connection with a club singing ingenue. A tenous romance then plays out with him guiding her career and her becoming his inspiration to reinvigorate his life. Sounds dreadful - only the plan is to make a musical about it. I hope thet means original songs. There are so few musicals writeen directly for screen that I hope they're good when they do try.
The Terminal Spy
Do you remember when there were multiple Alexander Litveninko project hangiong around Hollywood, with Johnny Depp being very vocal about his wish to play the former KGB spy? Well finally one of these is beginning to get moving with news that the authoritive Alan S. Cowell's investigative best-seller is being developed. He's the former chief of the London Bureau of the New York Times so it'll be well researched and at the same time won't hesitate from pointing the finger where it needs to be pointed. Whther any adaptation will be able to fit in the complexities of the case, or whether Depp will be involved in this one remains to be seen.
Turn of the Century
Finally I'm turing to on of the most promising directors of the 1970's, but equally one who never really made good on that original promise: Peter Bogdanovich. It's been 9 years since his underrated Cat's Meow so we're certainly due this Kurt Anderson adaptation. The novel has been favourably compared to the yuppie classic "Bonfire of the Vanities", a social satire which should fit Bogdanovich's style. Let's hope it does - I want to see a re-emergence of the once feted auteur.
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Film News (30/01/2010)
Sundance has been hogging all the headlines this week with the first reactions and aquisitions flying everywhere you look. You want uncomfortable violence - you got it! - or teenage lesbians - everywhere you look! - or pot smoking extravoganza's - this is Sundance! Away from Utah there have been some interesting stories, and of course it's time to catch up with the shuffling in UK release schedules.
Selma
Lee Daniels is curently riding high with Precious opening this weekend here and should receive a number of high profile Oscar nods on Tuesday morning. So it's no surprise that his next project is picking up some heavy weight casting. The project, Selma, concerns the civil rights movement during the 1960's and Robert De Niro has signed up to play the infamous Alabama Governor George Wallace - one of the biggest obstacles to ending segregation. It should certainly be an involving experience, although I suspect it will also be a tough ride.
Lee with Precious star Gabby Sidibe.
Click on the jump for deranged killers, masked vigilantes, intergalactic romances (two of them) and other affairs of the heart.
Another Year
But first my number 14 in the top 20 most anticipated films for 2010 was Mike Leigh's untitled project with Imelda Staunton and Jim Broadbent. Well, we may still know nothing about it, but it is, possibly, titled. As Another Year. Make of those crytic words what you will.
Avatar
In case you hadn't heard James Cameron's sci-fi epic has just hit an importnat box office milestone. It's only broken the record for international receipts, passing Titanic on Tuesday. Expect it to pass the US domestic record in the next couple of weeks too. Admittedly it isn't close to the biggest box office draw of all time once you factor in ticket price inflation and the 3D premium, but that's still quite an achievement that will take some years to be broken. Or at least until Cameron turns his attention to Avatar 2.
Dream House
Daniel Craig, and family, will be moving into the house belonging to a psychotic murderer sometime in 2011. Luckily his next door neighbour, the newly cast Naomi Watts, will be on hand to offer sound advice and dire warnings. She was in the Funny Games remake so she probably knows what she's talking about.
Passengers
I'm not sure whether this qualifies as an addition to the intelligent sci-fi boom, but Gabriele Muccino has signed on to direct the next Keanu Reeves project. Set on a autopilotted space ship Reeves is awoken from his cryogenics chamber some 70 years early and faced with the terrifying propect of growing old alone wakes up a beautiful - yet to be cast - woman. (I's go ape if I we her). The idea has some promise so I'll wait to see how the script balances out the potential pitfalls. i.e. being incredibly boring, or having a weird monster.
The Shadow
Sam Raimi hasn't announced what his first non Spider-Man movie will be now he's been ousted from the franchise, but that won't stop the rumours from drifting around the internet. This week he's said to be considered the big screen adaptation of pulp hero The Shadow. There has been a Shadow movie before (with Alec Baldwin!) but luckily no-one will be comparing any work Raimi does with that, although the original radio series was narrated by Orson Welles so perhaps there is a big challenge to face.
Take This Waltz
Essentially a simple love triangle drama with a married woman having an affair with the man across the street the script has still managed a high profile place on 2009's Black List. No surprise then to see it's been picked up, and with Sarah Away From Her Polley at the helm. Two sides of the triangle have been cast - Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams - and a big name announcement for the third is expected soon.
Release Date News
The Lovely Bones - Causing a disappointting mess in my Tuesday trailer continuity was the sudden shift of Peter Jackson's latest epic - presumably to allow the underwhelming US response to be out of our heads when it opens. Take revenge against your killer on 19 February 2010.
Ondine - Colin Farrell takes in the leading (human) role in this drama about a mermaid caught in a fisherman's net. Don't let this be the one that got away on 05 March 2010.
Shutter Island - Moving back for The Lovely Bones is Martin Scorsese's return to pulp B-movies. Leo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo will investiagte the mysterious prisoners in the titular asylum. Don't be patient 67 on 12 March 2010.
Wild Target - It's a comedy. Starring Rupert Grint from Harry Potter as an apprentice hitman with Emily Blunt as his rival. Why am I even vaguely interested? Because Bill Nighy is training him. Inspired. Take a potshot on 09 April 2010.
New York, I Love You - I've waited a long time to see the sequel to Paris, Je T'aime, in fact it was one of the first films I showed a trailer for back in September 2008. I hear it isn't quite as good - but we don't get enough collections of shorts in British Cinemas so I'm right there. Fall in love with your favourite city on 16 April 2009.
Inception - The second schedule change for Leo sees this trippy Christopher Nolan picture move to a mid summer release, probably down to high expectations for it's box office potential. Steal from your dreams on 16 July 2010.
Knight and Day - But it will face competition from the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz action comedy opening on the same day. I wonder which of these will lose their nerve... Have your date go very wrong on 16 July 2010.
Eagle of the Ninth - I know there is probably a great deal of pathos and spectacle to be had in the adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliffe's seminal Roman Legion novel, but it's got Channing Tatum in it so I guess it will be sold on the torso. Find your lost Legion on 10 September 2010.
Thor - Occupying the space left by Spider-Man 4 was an easy decision for Marvel's Norse superhero. Should give it ample opportunity to take an early hold of next year Box Office championship. By Odin's Staff I'll see this on 06 May 2011.
Spider-Man 4 wasn't the only film to disappear from the schedules during the last month. Rod Lurie's original source adaptation of Straw Dogs has also lost it's UK release - that's the third time so it's getting to be so much of a habit I doubt I'll believe the next date.
Some gratuitous shots of Channing Tatum in Eagle of the Ninth.
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Film News (11/04/09)
Easter has effectively made it a four day week so you would have thought news would slow down - wrong I'm afraid. In fact there's been some great stuff about and all for films which are completely new to me.
Dream House and Scarpa
Morgan Creek, the production company behind such hits as True Romance and Ace Ventura have had a poor couple of years, but this week their new figurehead Rick Nicita annouced 3 films which are being worked on. Two of which may be worth seeing. Scarpa is about Greg Scarpa Sr, the FBI highest level informant. I'm also fascinated by Dream House, set to be directed by Jim Sheridan. I love iot when serious directors slum it for the money and this is about a family who move into a house where the previous father went a bit crazy and killed the family, and now he wants his house back... Sounds like some serious slumming, and eerily similar to Cold Creek Manor which gave us Stephen Dorff putting his snakes around his old home. If Dream House is anything close to that I'm there.
Stephen Dorff - snake not pictured.
Box of Delights
The kids classic from John Masefield is getting the big screen treatment. The plot is somewhat convoluted concerning a magic box that gives the user powers of flight, time travel, ability to shrink etc which a small boy has to protect from an evil wizard. I remember loving this book 20 something years ago - much more than I remember the book itself so the adaptation may be something to really get the kids interested in.
Morning Glory
It's been rumoured for a while but this week Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum signed to join Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams in Morning Glory. Keaton and Ford will play warring co-anchors with McAdams and Goldblum trying to keep the peace. Hopefully a Broadcast News for the Noughties.
Twelve
Amazingly Joel Schumacher still has a career directing (although his last effort Town Creek has yet to score a release), what's more he can still assemble interesting casts for his projects. Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Ellen Barkin, Keifer Sutherland and 50 Cent have all signed up to Twelve, all about a NY small time drug dealer whose best friend is arrested for his cousin's murder. Interestingly 50 Cent was the star of Get Rich or Die Trying, which is the last film Jim Sheridan did for the cash, linking us back to the first story.
