(In honor of Mother's Day, we're launching a series of posts today written, in part, by our mothers after we asked them one simple (yet very complex) question: What's your favorite movie and why?)
My mom and I share such similar tastes that I expected her favorite movie to be one I also loved – but I was still surprised to find it was this one! It had a similar effect on us both, even with all the inaccuracies. When I visited Scotland last year, it broke both our hearts that she wasn't with me, visiting the places Wallace really lived, fought and died. Some Mother's Day, I will take her there!
"Asking someone who loves movies to pick one favorite is cruel to say the least. The story must touch my heart, and leave an indelible impression that changes my life. After great deliberation, I chose Braveheart. It gave me everything I could want in a film. A real life hero, an epic story, great performances, great cinematography (you couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting), great musical score, great costumes, drama, battle scenes, and romance. I never grow tired of watching it, and I never make it through the end without tears. I'm willing to forgive its historical transgressions because the film engulfs me, sucks me in and transports me to medieval Scotland. A costume drama of the very best kind. The heart wrenching tragedy of William Wallace left a permanent impression on me. Wanting to know the true story behind the film led me to dig deeper, not only into English and Scottish history, but into my own heritage in a way I never had before." – Julie Rappe
In honor of the upcoming Speed Racer, Matt Atchity over at Rotten Tomatoes has put together an impressive list of the most memorable cars to ever appear onscreen -- and if 50 wasn't impressive enough, he has put together an exhaustive list of honorable mentions.
There's no arguing with his picks -- for me, Dumb and Dumber's dog van ranks high, as does Garth Algar's MirthMobile. (You don't know how badly I coveted one as a teenager.) I think the Bond Astin Martin should rank above General Lee and Speed Racer though -- but I'm always one for a classic.
My number one pick -- yes, even above the DeLorean -- is the above. Mad Max's Modified 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe, ranked #26 on Atchity's list. That car is all kinds of sexy. I'm not really sure what that says about me, but there you go. There's a replica in my home town and it kills me that it is not mine.
Check out Matt's list, but come back and tell us your own picks. And if you have a car like Mad Max's, I'm all yours. I'm just saying.
The trailer for Star Wars: The Clone Warshas hit the net via Yahoo! Movies. Those who caught the broadcast of it on the 8th were lucky, as the Yahoo trailer is in less than ideal condition: just when things started to get good, the sound cut out on me! (So take my opinion with a grain of salt.) While I got all nostalgic and excited upon hearing Obi Wan's Theme (one of John Williams compositions, I think), the rest didn't fill me with much confidence. It looks less like a trailer for a movie trailer than one for a video game -- and not because of the animation, but because it mostly is made up of "Look, how cool!" shots. But, like I said, the sound died when the plot started to pick up, so I will re-watch it when the glitches clear up and form a new opinion. If it worked for you, please tell me if I'm wrong -- and if it is way better than a video game trailer.
The Clone Wars hits theatres August 15th. I wonder if Star Wars fans are already lining up?
Remember the days when FBI profilers hunted serial killers the old fashioned way, assisted by their fellow law enforcement officers? But ever since Clarice Starling had to go and enlist the help of Hannibal Lecter, now it is just standard protocol to pair up with a serial killer.
Deal with the Devil is the latest version of that tale -- except this one is a comic book by Mike S. Miller. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it's just been picked up by Lionsgate. The story follows FBI Agent Anthony Goodwin, a legendary manhunter until his final case. The killer he was after, Kevin Runyan, turned the tables and became his hunter. He loses his career and his suspect -- who turns up four years later, asking for his help. Goodwin must decide whether to help the man stop a dangerous copycat killer.
This news has the gaming world all a-flutter. Variety announced today that Gore Verbinski is taking the director's chair for the big screen adaptation of Bioshock. Universal has the rights to the video game adaptation, which Verbinski will direct and produce. John Logan will write the screenplay, and Verbinski plans to jump into pre-production as soon as it is finished and approved.
Bioshock was a hugely successful game, winning numerous awards and making a movie inevitable. And Take-Two Interactive, Bioshock's publisher, is so determined to see it onscreen that they structured the deal to make Halo like failure impossible.
It sounds like a prank. We would all like it to be one. But it seems to be legit.
The story comes from Screen Daily, who reports that S. Darko is being shopped around, with Fox already picking up the North American distribution rights. Touted as the sequel to the 2001 cult hit, the story picks up seven years after Donnie Darko left off. The youngest Darko, Samantha, is now 18 and abandoning her commitment to Sparkle Motion. She heads to Las Vegas with her best friend Corey, but the two are plagued with bizarre visions. I imagine they will involve a rabbit.
Richard Kelly, the original director, is in no way involved. Chris Fincher Fisher* will direct instead. Daveigh Chase, who played Samantha in the original, will reprise her role. It looks like she is the only one. The movie also stars Ed Westwick, Briana Evigan, and Justin Chatwin.
As to the big looming question of why, oh God, why, Simon Crowe of UK sales company Velvet Octopus says they're thinking of the children. "I think there is a new generation of cinema-goers who will be very excited to see this film." Which generation came of age between 2001 and 2008? Why haven't they rented Donnie Darko? I am afraid these are questions to which Crowe has no answers. But he did quip, "Donnie's not in [the new film] but there are meteorites and rabbits."
Nothing is safe from the all mighty dollar, my friends. Nothing. Even when there is a pretty conclusive ending, there can always be a sequel. I'll leave you to think about that as I go pen my script for No Country for Old Men 2.
*Very kind thanks to astute reader toad_stone for pointing out our egregious misspelling of director Chris Fisher's last name. Correction made, with our apologies. - Ed.
You know, I have always had a dislike for the collectible business. Most children of the 70's and 80's probably do, as we were generally left crying because our Transformers or Star Wars collections were incomplete. My own bitterness arises from not being able to get a figure of April O'Neill, the redheaded reporter and best friend of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That was the first time I learned that adults collected these things -- and not to play with, but to sell for ridiculously high prices. And I learned it courtesy of my dad, who knew guys hoarding April O'Neill figures, and who wouldn't cough one up to a fellow cop for his young, geeky daughter.
So, this story from the New York Post reporting Heath Ledger's Joker figure selling out everywhere makes me sad and angry. It's not that kids are being denied a Joker figure (I really do not think young children should be anywhere near The Dark Knight, and I'm pretty liberal about kids watching dark movies), but that Ledger's death is being shamelessly exploited on eBay. Because you know as well as I that those figures wouldn't be flying from the shelves if Ledger hadn't passed away earlier this year. I have no doubt it would be popular, but no one would be buying 30 of them. They wouldn't be going for $55.00 a pop. (Actually, it looks like that's some hyperbole, as a brief glance suggests it's more in the range of $30-$40, but it's still the principle of the thing. Sell enough and you've turned a tidy profit.)
The world thought one thing when Oliver Stone cast Josh Brolin as our Commander in Chief: "Really? How is that going to work?" And yet, here comes our first look at W. proving that it actually does. It's creepy. Granted, it is still President Bush as filtered through the Handsome and Rugged Machine (TM), but it's not nearly as outlandish as I expected. The same goes for Elizabeth Banks. The magic of hair and makeup. Let's just hand them the Oscar for this one. Entertainment Weekly has a six-page spread on the new film; we've included another photo of Josh Brolin as George W. Bush after the jump.
No release date yet, but shooting begins in two weeks and I am beyond intrigued now. Stone should make this a new franchise. I vote Clive Owen as Vladimir Putin. What do you think? Does it work? Does this whole thing work?
Admit it, we have all thought that the one thingX-Men Origins: Wolverine needed was another character. I mean, there's no possible way Wolverine could carry the entire movie by himself; what we needed were some mutants to share the load. Right?
Well, the most surprising addition yet has been made. According to Superhero Hype, there are reports that Cyclops has joined the roster. No, he won't be played by James Marsden, but an Australian actor named Tim Pocock. The news comes via an Australian agency, who confirmed that said actor was indeed cast as the young Scott Summers.
Now how the heck the two will meet is impossible for me to fathom. I imagine this will just be a cameo, a young Scott brushes past Wolverine at a train station or bus stop. Knowing how these origin stories go, there will probably be some wink-nudge storyline where Wolverine snubs Cyclops somehow, leading to the instant dislike that springs up when the two meet again as adults. Or he will rescue the young Summers, thus making their prickly relationship something to be regretted. (How Summers will not remember is a mystery -- he wasn't brainwashed by Weapon X.)
Sigh. I keep on defending you, Hugh Jackman, assuring everyone you've got a handle on the character, but you're making it so hard for me! Why couldn't you have just mindlessly fought bears in the Canadian snow, wearing nothing but computer circuitry?!
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the entire pantheon of Marvel superheroes, hits theatres May 1st, 2009. Filming finished last week, so ostensibly they can't add any more characters ... can they?
In all the breathless excitement, possibility and release date for Iron Man 2, it's always good to step back and hear from the main men. You might be surprised (and maybe relieved) to know they haven't really started thinking about the sequel yet. On the other hand, one immediately begins to panic, thinking "Dear God, they won't actually ditch Jon Favreau, will they?"To answer that,Entertainment Weekly sat down with both Robert Downey Jr. and Favreau, the weariness apparent in their voices as they tried to actually comprehend doing it all again.
Let's start with Stark himself on where the sequel will go. "There's this idea of Terrence [Howard] putting on a suit and coming back as War Machine, who is pretty iconic in the Iron Man and Marvel universe. Just seeing where it can all go, but grounding it in a very modern mythology. I see it as the greatest dysfunctional family story ever told .... In The New York Post a couple days ago, [there was a cartoon] of Iron Man suited up, and he's telling the governor even his super-powers can't get him out of the budget problem. That was what Jon was hoping for and excited to see the most, the idea that Tony Stark and Iron Man can become part of the cultural fabric. When we heard posters were being defaced to promote political or social ideas, he just got such a hoot out of that."
Isn't it pretty? I'm still alarmed by the squareness of Obi-Wan's beard though, even the Clone Trooper helmets have more softness. The poster has been released to herald the debut of the trailer, which will air May 8th simultaneously on Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, CNN and Boomerang. It will air at 7:58 in all U.S. time zones. According to the official Star Wars site (where the poster can be purchased and press release can be found), Amidala will be on the front lines alongside Anakin and Obi Wan, and we'll also be introduced to Anakin's Padawan, Ahsoka. Does it surprise anyone else they let him have a Padawan? Way to go, Jedi Academy.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars comes to the big screen on August 15th, with the premiere of Cartoon Network's weekly series debuting sometime after. With all the big summer movies this year, it's really hard to remember this is coming out too. What a geeky year.
Well, it was a surprise. MTV caught up with Jason Segel to pry more Muppet movie tidbits from him, and it seems he was happy to oblige. He revealed he's written a cameo for a veteran of The Great Muppet Caper.
"I have a cameo for Charles Grodin in it. It's a really brilliant cameo, I must say. I'm really proud of it." Maybe we will find out if he ever tried Hare Krishna.
As to who else might be making an appearance -- well, just about everyone. "At one point they need all the Muppets they can get." And no, it won't be full of raunchy adult humor found in Segel's Forgetting Sarah Marshall. No Muppets will get high or drop trou. "When I get into Muppet mode I turn into a 12-year-old boy," he protested. "I think them seeing me in those meetings, they had no doubt I would be OK with the tone."
If you still doubt Segel, you really need to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall and witness the glory that is the Dracula musical. It sealed the deal for me. (Has anyone else noticed the TV spots always show him singing the Muppet theme song? Such a savvy marketing team.) I vote for Steve Martin to reprise his role as the cheap champagne hawking waiter. I don't know why, but the expression on his face when they request straws still gets me. Or Michael Caine, because I think he deserves a special Oscar for turning in such a perfect Scrooge alongside rats and frogs. In case Segel is reading, offer up requests of your own.
A new month, a new video from the set of Watchmen! Zack Snyder gave this one to JoBlo for posting, and they have kindly provided an embed code so you could watch it without leaving the comfy confines of Cinematical.
This video has me seriously geeking out. It is a guided tour from costume designer Michael Wilkinson, who happily explains everything from police uniforms to the iconic outfits our heroes will be sporting. The hero costumes should help quell some of the "Oxymandias isn't gold enough!" cries that were going around, because the sketches look perfect. Nothing like the first character still.
As you may remember, I'm a costume nerd, and I can spend hours studying their construction. I would give anything to be a research gopher for someone like Wilkinson; I would live out my days happily compiling books of photos and fabric scraps. (And speaking of the designer, one of my biggest disappointments was not getting to meet him last year at ComicCon. I was under strict orders to show him the Queen Gorgo dress, and I missed him by ten minutes. Regrets!)
I am loving that first shot of what has to be Sally Jupiter -- her dress! Her hair! She's perfect. May this movie be half as good as it looks.
When I first saw this headline, I thought: "Yes! Hollywood has realized there are other time periods outside of Tudor England!" Then I read the details and went, "Oh. Not really, then."
The Hollywood Reporter announced that Universal has picked up The Knights Templar, a spec script penned by Adam Torchia and Justin Stanley. Timbur Bekmambetov and Marc Platt will produce.
The story revolves around the ever popular Knights Templar, who return from the Crusades to find a vampire army, intent on destroying the Holy Grail. Whether the Grail will actually be the Cup of Christ or something to do with Mary Magdalene remains to be seen. Knights vs. Vampires! Go!
Bekmambetov, the Russian director behind Wanted, Night Watch and its sequel, is obviously no stranger to the undead. No word on who is directing, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is a chair with his name on it as it seems perfectly suited to his style. THR notes that Universal is obviously confident in Wanted, and wants to keep him in the fold.
I was really hoping for a real historical movie about the Knights Templar. They're not my favorite subject, but I'm a sucker for those historical films, especially when they involve chainmail and castles. But Hollywood never seems to regard the medieval era as anything but high fantasy fodder, which is a downright shame because there are loads of movies begging to be made. Big medieval battles are cool enough on their own without adding vampires (which will inevitably be CG) into the mix. Besides, this movie will just lead to many guys showing up at the Renaissance Faire dressed as Knights Templar, but packing stakes and garlic alongside their swords. Yeah, that matters to me. I don't lace myself up in a corset to see guys in painted bedsheets, you know.
In the glorious aftermath of Iron Man, Marvel announced the dates for who was to follow in his titanium alloyed footsteps, and not surprisingly there's nary a superheroine among them.
I'm a little late to this conversation – even Defamer was calling for a superchick movie last week, but we all know you're stylish if you arrive late to the party. And frankly, as a geek girl, I'm given a pass and can talk about this stuff whenever the mood strikes me. Plus, if I had done it last week, we wouldn't have gotten to talk about all those cool comic books.
It's a surprising fact, but the comic book world is a lot more accepting of tough women than mainstream Hollywood. There are no doubt loads of men and women who disagree with me, pointing to Frank Miller or the unrealistic body expectations. No doubt there are a lot of damning storylines and panels ("Quiet, or Papa spank!"), but I find much of it easy to shrug off. I'm as staunch a feminist as you can find, but I've never been able to completely shake my fist at the industry because, dammit, there was Wonder Woman and Jean Grey. From the start, comic book heroines were strong individuals, capable of action. A glance through Marvel or DC titles show plenty of women who kick ass as heroes, villains, and all the ambiguity in between.
And they've been doing it for years! Wonder Woman was battling villains when women were still being run out of the workplace – and sporting a mini-skirt while women were still unusual in pants. Of course, they show leg, of course they are extremely pretty and curvaceous, but so what? The men are all cleft-jawed and ripped like gods, so we're hardly seeing a fair shake for either gender there.
Remember the days when FBI profilers hunted serial killers the old fashioned way, assisted by their fellow law enforcement officers? But ever since Clarice Starling had to go and enlist the help of Hannibal Lecter, now it is just standard protocol to pair up with a serial killer.
This news has the gaming world all a-flutter. 
It sounds like a prank. We would all like it to be one. But it seems to be legit. 
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In all the breathless excitement, possibility and release date for Iron Man 2, it's always good to step back and hear from the main men. You might be surprised (and maybe relieved) to know they haven't really started thinking about the sequel yet. On the other hand, one immediately begins to panic, thinking "Dear God, they won't actually ditch 
Well, it was a surprise. 
When I first saw this headline, I thought: "Yes! Hollywood has realized there are other time periods outside of Tudor England!" Then I read the details and went, "Oh. Not really, then."
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Full 'G.I. Joe' Cast Photos!
