(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?)
The first film I ever watched with my parents was Annie Hall. I was three. I'd go on to watch bits and pieces of it throughout the years (my mother always had it on), but it wasn't until later in life that I came to really appreciate everything this film represents and all that it means for my eccentric Jewish family from New York. So when I asked my mother for her favorite movie, I already knew this would be the first one out of her mouth ...
"At that time, I related to Annie Hall. I always dressed differently; was always trying to better myself. We were hip, your Dad and I; we lived in the city and I even had a Bloomingdale's card that Daddy was always trying to take away from me. I just saw myself in this film. I went to school, but never finished -- not only was Woody Allen at his best when he made this film, but he also captured this time in New York City perfectly. A close second after Annie Hall would be The Big Chill-- because I never graduated college and I never had a group of friends like that, so I was always drawn to that movie. And the soundtrack ... how do you beat that soundtrack?"
Well, the cat is out of the bag -- all is not well over at Warner Bros. Hopefully the rocky state of affairs at WB isn't going to cause problems for their latest purchase. Variety reports that the studio has picked up Due Date, a pregnancy comedy by Alan Freedland and Alan Cohen.
The storycenters on a first-time father and burgeoning workaholic whose wife goes into labor while he is stuck hundreds of miles away in a snowstorm. The only way he can make it to the birth in time is by hitching a ride with a college student. So I can only assume that Due Date will be another one of those movies about a young man lamenting his lost youth in the face of fatherhood. I'm thinking the film will be something along the lines of She's Having a Baby, but with a dash of road movie humor thrown in for good measure.
Cohen and Freedland are two of the writer-producers of the Fox animated show, King of the Hill, and were also behind the Robert Evans cartoon, Kid Notorious. The two recently sold a comedy script to Disney with with Adam Shankman (Hairspray) lined up to direct. These two might want to stay tight with the 'Mouse', because things are starting to look a little shaky over at WB.
Over on his blog, Kevin Smith has released another new image from Zack and Miri Make a Porno, promising fans that the film's first internet-only teaser will debut on his site, www.quickstopentertainment.com, when he returns home from a trip to the east coast next week. Additionally, Smith says he'll be at San Diego Comic Con again this year (we missed ya at NYCC, Kev!), and to (most likely) look out for a panel in the big room on Friday night. Panel? Does that mean he'll have a bunch of cast members with him? Does that mean he'll debut the first full-length trailer for the film? Does that mean he'll give out candy?!
From looking at the photo, it appears we'll be getting some fun adult hockey in the flick, which, in case you didn't know (or forgot) tells of two platonic friends (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) who, strapped for cash, decide to make a porno. Check out a couple more images from the film in our gallery below. Zack and Miri Make a Porno arrives in theaters this fall.
Hollywood and Broadway have always been kissin' cousins, but their relationship used to flow in a different direction. In the old days, Broadway shows would get turned into movies, and Broadway actors would become film stars. Now it's the other way around: Eleven of the 37 shows currently on Broadway are based on movies, and there are enough movie stars performing on the Great White Way to fill an Oscar ceremony.
And the occasional flop aside (Big? Seriously?), audiences are eating them up. I needn't repeat for you the phenomenal success of Broadway's The Lion King, Hairspray, and The Producers, the last two of which were so popular that they inspired new film versions. Broadway has often been accused of being too populist and middlebrow, and I guess you need look no further than the success of movie-based musicals for evidence of that. The purists scoff -- but The Producers, which is as broad and "low" a comedy as you can imagine, also earned a record number of Tony nominations and wins. So those scoffing purists are outnumbered, and I suspect a lot of them are secretly as entertained by the shows as everyone else is.
Oh, David O. Russell. The man is completely imbalanced: physical confrontations with George Clooney on set, putting Christopher Nolan in a headlock, going on a tirade towards Lily Tomlin, and arguing with James Caan about whether it's possible to choke and cough at the same time. But say what you will about his stability, he puts out some pretty damn good films.
This week's double feature is all about his deliciously talented imbalance. If you're not up for wildly colorful car racing or crappy-looking weddings in Vegas, maybe some Iraq-set comedy and over-the-top existential intervention is more up your alley. Oh yes, I'm talking about the wildly fun Three Kings and one of my favorite giggle-inducing comedies of all time -- I Heart Huckabees.
Kidding? Yes, that's right, as in kids, young 'uns, rug rats. This week on Trailer Park, we're scoping out previews of movies that are for or about the kiddies. The Rocker Kid is a relative term, but the teens populating this comedy are kids from where I'm sitting. Probably best known for playing Dwight on NBC's The Office, Rainn Wilson stars as a washed up 80s rocker who was booted out of a succesful band right before they hit it big. Kind of like Pete Best but with spandex and big hair. His teenage nephew's band is playing at the prom and they need him to fill in. The gig goes well and Wilson's character ends up touring with the band. There's a definite hint of School of Rock, but Wilson is so appealing in the role that I've chosen to overlook that and the groin injury joke (a hokey device that is often a deal breaker for me). Here's what Erik thought of the trailer.
We've got about a million comedies out there where the mother-in-law makes trouble -- those sinister, trouble-making older women -- especially the moms of the grooms, who go on to terrorize the brides to be. It's pretty much a cinematic wedding staple by this point. However, it looks like things are switching up a bit for the new comedy I Hate You, Dad.
Variety reports that Columbia Pictures has picked up David Caspe's comic pitch, which focuses on a couple who are about to get married when the dad of the groom moves in, for whatever reason. As soon as he does, he "promptly begins feuding with the bride-to-be." Super fun!
There's lots of way this project can go, but I'm not too optimistic considering the fact that Happy Madison is producing it. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Kevin James, Adam Sandler, or both of them will be in it, considering the last handful of HM movies to hit the screen. If not, there's sure to be at least a few other Sandler buddies in the mix somehow.
I'd probably go to see A Good Old Fashioned Orgy just for the title. It's got punch, and it is a great, brief description of what's to come. It sort of reminds me of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas for a new generation. But the story is different, and instead of a big-busted country singer, we're getting a little slice of Saturday Night Live. Variety reports that Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, and Leslie Bibb have signed on to star in the film, which will be directed by co-writers Pete Huyck and Alex Gregory (King of the Hill).
Sudeikis will star as a 30-year-old dude with wealthy parents. However, he's "forced to grow up when his father decides to sell the family vacation home in the Hamptons, bringing an end to his tradition of throwing elaborate summer theme parties. Wanting to go out with a bang, he enlists his friends to throw one final party." Yes, it's an orgy. I guess he doesn't mind seeing all his friends nude, or bumping bare butts with a buddy.
There's great potential for this flick, which begins production this month in North Carolina. But it makes me wonder -- how long until we get another sex-centered comedy? Sex comedies used to be more about the thinking, and then maybe the doing, but now we've got both an orgy and Zack and Miri Make a Porno on the way. What's next?
I'm very pleased that my Cinematical colleague James Rocchi both enjoyed Speed Racer and published his review before mine, and here's why: I couldn't wait for the damn thing to end. This garish, aimless film wore out its welcome (and its crayon box) after about 25 minutes, but the cinematic eyesore just kept lumbering on for two full hours. I know it's tough to keep kids still in a movie theater even when they like the movie they're watching, so I can only imagine what parents will be dealing with as Speed Racer's merciless stretches of blah-blah-blah hit the screen. Aside from three or four mega-flashy racing sequences, Speed Racer feels like the pilot episode of a Fox TV series called The Generic Family from Plastic World.
A young man named "Speed Racer" grows up to become a hot-shot car racer (imagine that), but when he refuses to sign with an evil tycoon, it kick-starts a third-act conflict that can only be solved by ... car racing! There's the whole of your plot in a nutshell, but I've left out the resoundingly clumsy flashback structure, the nominally interesting but ultimately pointless side characters, and several absurdly "emotional" moments that might have made an impact if they didn't occur on sets made entirely of bright pink styrofoam and glitter. There's also an allegedly mysterious character called Racer X, a button-cute and entirely superfluous girlfriend character, and (wedged in clumsily whenever things get dull) a mischievous little kid and his monkey sidekick.
Here's where I get confused: If you knew a pair of people like the characters played by Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher in the new feature-length sitcom pilot What Happens in Vegas, you'd probably hate them. Undoubtedly, in real life, you'd want to punch / mock / immediately walk away from people so outrageously stupid, selfish, and insufferable. So here's my question: Why would you actually PAY for the experience of meeting two such woeful and worthless people? It's not like there's much upside for you...
Pre-packaged movie star detritus of the most inane order, What Happens in Vegas offers an I Love Lucy premise, an Odd Couple leading duo, and a Three's Company screenplay. (I mean, like, season five Three's Company, when you could spot the flaccid punch-lines the split-second the set-up is delivered.) It's not like I went in gunning for the flick, because I happen to think that A) Ashton Kutcher is a fairly funny guy, B) Cameron Diaz is still (often) a generally appealing movie star, and C) "high concept" comedy can sometimes make for one colorful and energetic night at the cinema -- but I've been to writing seminars that offer more humor, creativity, and cleverness than what's on display here. And trust me, writing seminars have none of those things.
I have to hand it to the wardrobe people for Steven Soderbergh's The Informant since it's not easy making a guy who normally looks like this look like such a schlump. The Bad and Ugly have posted some behind-the-scenes photos for the comedic thriller, and even though there is nothing earth shattering going on, they are definitely a step up from the other pics floating around out there.
The Informant is based on the true-life novel by Kurt Eichenwald. The story revolves around Mark Whitacre (Damon), a rising star at the agriculture conglomerate, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). At the urging of his wife (who had threatened to go to the FBI), Whitacre spilled the beans to an agent that he had been involved in a price-fixing scam with other major corporations over the food additive, lysine. As if that wasn't enough of a story, it was later revealed that Whitacre (one of the most high profile, whistle-blowers in history) was suffering from Bipolar disorder and had defrauded millions from ADM.
For such serious subject matter, it came as a bit of a surprise when casting announcements first went out for the film and the list was chock-full of comedic actors (including Scott Bakula and Tony Hale). Soderbergh later confirmed that the film was going to be a "dark comedy", which makes sense because Damon is a pretty funny guy, and a great straight man. Soderbergh has just begun filming on location in Decatur, Illinois and there is no official release date, but The Informant is expected to arrive in theaters in 2009.
You know, they say that you shouldn't go into business with family and friends. Yet many people still do, and many people also begin to take the advice to heart sooner or later. But what about people you meet in a support group? That sounds totally rational, doesn't it? Let's take it a bit further -- imagine you go into business with strangers you know all have anger issues. It sounds like hell in real life, but may make for a funny film on the big screen.
Variety reports that Heather Graham, Jennifer Coolidge, Matthew Settle (the cool art dad from Gossip Girl), and Amber Heard have signed on to star in a new black dramedy called Ex-terminators, which was written by Suzanne Weinert, and will be the feature directorial debut for Scrubs helmer John Inwood. So yes, this film will focus on "three women who meet in an anger-management therapy group and decide to form a traditional business using very untraditional methods."
This is feeling like one of those projects that could very easily be good, and just as easily be stereotypical and over-the-top bad. Whichever it ends up being, I imagine it will have a healthy dose of quirk involved, considering all the time Inwood has spent on Scrubs. Production began last week in Austin.
Just when I thought the day would end without a single bit of funny ... The Promotiontrailer has finally arrived! You've probably heard us talk about this movie a good gazillion times already, but if you haven't, listen up: It's really good and stuff. Yes, a bunch of us here at Cinematical saw The Promotionwhen it premiered at SXSW in March and we absolutely fell in love with its characters, its story, its performances and its charm.
Written and directed by Steve Conrad (writer of The Pursuit of Happyness), The Promotion stars Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly as two guys who REALLY want to land the new managerial job at the supermarket across town. In fact, both will go to great lengths to get that job -- and, while the premise sounds sort of played, silly and uninteresting, the execution is wonderful. This is truly one of my favorite films of the year so far, and we hope you like it too. Moviefone just premiered the new trailer (see above), and they did a pretty good job setting the film up for you, tone and all. As I've said, it's Election set in a supermarket -- so when you watch the trailer, keep that in mind.
When word hit last year that John Waters was going to make a children's movie, I was all sorts of excited -- the King of Sleaze branching out into new and impressionable territory! I imagined kid-ified versions of his past films, or just what was in store for a film with the name "Fruitcake." But then there was nothing, and the Waterific news seemed like a distant memory ... until now!
The Hollywood Reporter posts that Parker Posey and Johnny Knoxville have signed on to star in the film. This will be Ms. Posey's first foray into the world of Waters, which is ridiculously long overdue, while Knoxville is following John right out of A Dirty Shame. There's no word on who they'll play, but this is what we know of the story: It focuses on a boy named after his favorite dessert. (ew) "He runs away from home during the holidays after he and his parents are caught shoplifting meat, then meets up with a runaway girl raised by two gay men [My Two Dads!] and searching for her birth mother."
Parker and Johnny could be ma and pop itching for some free meat, or maybe he's one of the gay men and she's the birth mother. Whoever they play, there is absolutely no way I'll miss this movie. Not with Waters and Posey together. I just wish this was the sort of film that would have a set visit. You can definitely expect to hear more from me as the cast fills out, but it will take a little while to get to us -- John plans to film it over a real winter.
Oh, Ashton. He's the little train that just keeps on trying. At least this latest bit of news doesn't have anything to do with romantic comedy. That, at least, is a plus. According to Ace Showbiz, Ashton Kutcher visited Ryan Seacrest's radio show yesterday and told the host that he's starting to think about making a feature film of Punk'd: "I was actually walking down the street in New York yesterday and thought, 'What if I did Punk'd: The Movie? Like a full on feature film of Punk'd.'"
But it also seems to be more than just the passing notion that he suggests. Kutcher went on to say: "I got a plan. But if I reveal the plan then everyone's going to know when it's going down." To me, that says that he's planning one big, full-scale trick on a whole lot of his celebrity friends.
I must admit: I've watched a few episodes back in the day and they can be funny, in the same way any elaborate joke is. But can it make a good feature film? Sure, Jackass headed to the big screen a few times, but that's a whole different sort of film. Shocked celebrity faces and laughter isn't quite the same thing as rabid stupidity in action with crazy injury.
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Hollywood and Broadway have always been kissin' cousins, but their relationship used to flow in a different direction. In the old days, Broadway shows would get turned into movies, and Broadway actors would become film stars. Now it's the other way around: Eleven of the 37 shows currently on Broadway are based on movies, and there are enough movie stars performing on the Great White Way to fill an Oscar ceremony.
We've got about a million comedies out there where the mother-in-law makes trouble -- those sinister, trouble-making older women -- especially the moms of the grooms, who go on to terrorize the brides to be. It's pretty much a cinematic wedding staple by this point. However, it looks like things are switching up a bit for the new comedy I Hate You, Dad.
I'd probably go to see A Good Old Fashioned Orgy just for the title. It's got punch, and it is a great, brief description of what's to come. It sort of reminds me of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas for a new generation. But the story is different, and instead of a big-busted country singer, we're getting a little slice of Saturday Night Live. 
I have to hand it to the wardrobe people for 
You know, they say that you shouldn't go into business with family and friends. Yet many people still do, and many people also begin to take the advice to heart sooner or later. But what about people you meet in a support group? That sounds totally rational, doesn't it? Let's take it a bit further -- imagine you go into business with strangers you know all have anger issues. It sounds like hell in real life, but may make for a funny film on the big screen.
When word hit 
Oh, Ashton. He's the little train that just keeps on trying. At least this latest bit of news doesn't have anything to do with romantic comedy. That, at least, is a plus. According to 
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Full 'G.I. Joe' Cast Photos!
