Happy Birthday to
Ed Norton
41 today
You might think I am celebrating the birthday of former Hulk (oops) the day after Robert De Niro as a way of pushing their next collaboration - Stone - out in cinemas later this year. Only it looks drivel so I won't be going to see it.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Ed Norton
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Robert De Niro
Happy Birthday to
Robert De Niro
67 today
In the news columns here at RLAG I like to big up Robert a lot, in fact I'm often interested in the projects that he may be attached to including Selma, Honeymoon with Harry and I heard you paint Houses - unfortunately he work hasn't been as good as we would hope for many years - you have to go back to 1997 for his last great performances (the three punch combo of Jackie Brown, Wag the Dog and Cop Land).
Monday, 16 August 2010
Lesley Ann Warren
Happy Birthday to
Lesley Ann Warren
64 today
I love Clue. Funny funny funny. Especially Lesley's slutty Miss Scarlet. But like all great commediennes there are many great performances in her history whether you're a recent convert thanks to her "Will & Grace" cameo or a Victor/Victoria fan there's something for everyone. Talking of the latter here's Lesley belting out about Chicago, Illinois.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
You give me fever (Film News - 14/08/10)
Not much of a week for breaking news, in fact half of the stories I'm running are additional casings to already announced projects. That said if this first item doesn't a) get to the top of the box office the week it opens and b) doesn't garner serious award consideration for the lead then I will be very surprised.
Untitled Peggy Lee Project
Pleased with the critical and commercial success from the real life of Kitchen queen Julia Child, Nora Ephron has decided to mine the biography of another 50's icon with her next film about singer and actress Peggy Lee. Best known for her interpretation of the Jazz standard Fever, Lee recorded over 50 albums and received 12 Grammy nominations. As well as an Oscar nod for her alcoholic singer in Pete Kelly's Blues.
It's still to be confirmed what aspect of Peggy's life will be the centrepoint of the biopic, there's certainly plenty to choose from either artistically or emotionally - Peggy married and divorced 4 times in 25 years. Saying that there's no great battle against addictions or family tragedy that often forms the backdrop for musical biopics so there are legitimate concerns that there will be a lack of conflict in the tale.
Reese Witherspoon is currently tipped to take the lead and there's a certain physical similarity to Peggy (above) that might just work.
Read on for an unlikely sci-fi, more roadside castings and the object of Charlize Theron's affections.
Isopod
The latest highly unlikely rumour - as picked up from a rogue tweet - is that Barry "Rain Man" Levinson is set to direct a indie sci-fi thriller Isopod in the Carolinas. It'll hardly be Levinson's usually oeuvre, but he has done sci-fi before (Sphere) and there's certainly been plenty of genre hopping in his career. In animal clasification the Isopoda are crustaceans with seven pairs of similar legs (from the latin iso ~ same and pod ~ foot) and are typically flattened. I am rather hoping the film will focus on a genetic abnormally which creates gigantic woodlice (left), essentially docile but capable of destroying entire forests in their rampant search for decomposing plant matter.
On the Road
Walter Salles has extended his cast once again, and there are even more interesting faces amongst the supporting characters including Alice Braga, Steve Buscemi and Terrence Howard.
Young Adult
I know it's only been a week since we first mentioned this Reitman/Cody collaboration with Charlize Theron setting off to reunite with her childhood sweetheart, and perhaps I should let the story lie low for a bit before updating but the news on the street is that Josh Brolin is set to play the jock that turns her down for a second time. Now I find Josh as sexy as the next guy but I'm still not convinced he'd be able to walk away from Charlize. Just saying.
Josh ponders his options.
Tess Harper
Happy Birthday to
Tess Harper
60 today
Arkansas born actress who famously spent most of her formative acting years trying to work off her hillbilly accent only to then spend the rest of her career playing Southern grand dames. Nothing interesting coming up.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
Remembering our past (Out the week - 13/08/10)
It's a strange week where the two big releases both look like dreadful prospects for a night at the cinema, needless to say it will either be cage or M. Night at number one and they'll claim a massive victory even if receipts of both end up bing disappointing. The film of the week on the other hand has be Oscar winner The Secret in their Eyes>.
Black Dynamite
It might not be timely - spoofing the blaxploitation subgenre which peaked over 30 years ago - but this all action comedy from Michale Jai White looks great in the trailers and hits all the right moves.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Final
Five kids getting bullied in small town America high school decide to deal with it through ultra violence and torture. This seems disproportionate to me, what do you think?
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Kalavaadiya Pozhuthugal
It's impossible to find many details about this Tamil film starring the irrepressible Prakash Raj. The ramantic comedy follows the fortunes of 2 couples. IF anyone can post a link to a trailer then I will be eternally grateful - this is the only film that's foxed me so far this year.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Last Airbender
The US critics went to town tearing down M. Night Shyalaman's latest cinmatic venture partly due to it's own incompetence and partly due to the drop in quality between the original cartoon series and this big screen remake. Reviews from this side of the pond have been kinder, but still generally negative.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Le Refuge
Francois Ozon's (Time to Leave, 8 Women) latest about a pregnant woman coming to terms with the death of her lover and making an unlikely replacement family with his gay brother seems perfect for his sensitive filming style, that said the trailer and reviews make it seem like naval gazing is the order of the day.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Secret in their Eyes
Very highly praised and oscar winning Argentinean movie that plays with time jumping back and forth between a an unsolved murder in the 1970's and the prosecuter writing his memoirs about the events surrounding it.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Socerer's Apprentice
OK so I've rated this higher than the Last Airbender because the reviews have generally been kinder, but frankly this looks like the worse of the two and no amount of Nicolas Cage doing Nicolas Cage can prevent that.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Utterly pointless spin-off gets utterly pointless limited cinematic release. I can't imagine why anyone would want to go to see this, even the animation looks uninteresting.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Marcia Gay Harden
Happy Birthday to
Marcia Gay Harden
51 today
California girl Marcia continues to enliven otherwise middling films with her strong and prickly presence - The Mist was my first film to be reviewed here and her Mrs Carmody often haunts my darkest dreams - coming up will be the Tony Kaye directed Detachment where Marcia plays the principal to Adrein Brody's long term substitute teacher.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Casey Affleck
Happy Birthday to
Casey Affleck
35 today
Casey's been getting used to controversy these last few months, first there was the graphic violence of The Killer Inside Me and next up is th graphic excess of the Joaquim Pheonix documentary he's directed I'm Still Here. Looks like Casey will be taking the front page of the Daily Mail for many months to come.
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Tuesday Trailers - The Town
Whatever you say about Ben Affleck as an actor you can't deny Gone Baby Gone was a finely crafted piece of cinema. His directorial follow-up (in which he also casts himself) is another Boston-set crime drama, although this time it concerns bank robberies rather than child abductions. Really nice supporting cast and solidy exciting trailer make this one to add to my calendar.
The Town opens on 24 September 2010.
Martha Hyer
Happy Birthday to
Martha Hyer
86 today
Best remembered for her supporting performance in the rat pack heavy Some Came Running Hyer was a committed and natural performer throughout her young career before retiring in the mid 70's. Was married to producer Hal B Wallis for 20 years.
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