Cinematical Videos

As much as I love a good animated film, sometime I have to sigh and wonder what would be if the same cast was in a live action feature. This is one of those times. Zack Snyder's Guardians of Ga'hoole has found its official cast, and it's a little different from earlier reports in January. Hugo Weaving and Ryan Kwanten are still in, Hugh Jackman is not, and there are a whole bunch of new folks. The Hollywood Reporter posts that the cast will be headlined by Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, David Wenham, and Weaving. (Mucho props to Elisabeth for guessing right on Wenham in April '08!) These guys will be joined by the likes of Aussie folks Emily Barclay, Abbie Cornish, Emilie de Ravin, Jay Laga'aia, and Kwanten. PLUS -- three Brit actors with Miriam Margolyes, Helen Mirren, and Jim Sturgess. Unfortunately, there's no cast rundown of who will voice who, and with that many names, I'm not even going to try guessing. Check out IMDb for a few casting names, but I'm not so sure on their accuracy since they list Sturgess as Soren, and THR lists him last, rather than naming him as a headliner. Holy crap! Is it terrible that this news makes me sad and wishes this cast wasn't wasted on owls? Many of these actors could offer so much visually, and oh, how I'd love to see them play off of each other -- especially Wenham, Weaving, and Mirren. At the very least, it's got me itching to watch the story of the young owl Soren and his enthrallment with stories of the winged warrior Guardians of Ga'Hoole. How 'bout you?Filed under: Animation, Casting Permalink | Email this | Comments

While the wheels on the Wagon Queen Family Truckster are still in motion with regards to a brand new Vacation film as told through the eyes of Clark Griswold's son Rusty and his family (which New Line is currently working on alongside David Dobkin), the original Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, respectively) will be making a return appearance this February on the small screen as part of a Superbowl commercial for HomeAway vacation rentals. Yup, Chase and D'Angelo will be reprising their characters for a commercial that US Weekly says will pay homage to the 1983 original film, National Lampoon's Vacation. Says Chase, "To this day, people ask me, 'When is the next Vacation movie?" So I'm sure everyone will get a kick out of seeing the Griswolds and their misadventures once again." D'Angelo adds, "Clark and Ellen have one of the most enduring marriages ever to come out of Hollywood. I am thrilled that HomeAway is reuniting Chevy and me." Aside from Chase and D'Angelo, the TV spot will also reportedly feature an exact replica of the iconic station wagon featured in first film. Though it's not exactly a big-screen reunion for the original Griswold parents, it'll be fun to see them back together again for what I hope will be an entertaining Superbowl spot. And, hey, I guess after watching that we'll know whether or not we want them back for cameo appearances in the next Vacation movie, too.Filed under: Comedy, Fandom, Home Entertainment Permalink | Email this | Comments

Retire. I am starting to hate that word in Hollywood. Most of the time it doesn't mean what it suggests. Retirement means ending work, maybe taking on a side gig if you really need to or are really bored, but for the most part, it's ending life in the workforce and enjoying a life of leisure. In cinema, however, it seems to be anyone who is taking a break from the biz. Luc Besson's "retired," as is Sean Connery. Now ... Robert Downey Jr.? The ever popular actor has told Entertainment Weekly that he might quit acting. "I've never had it this good -- this is my day in the sun -- and I certainly don't want to look a gift horse in the molars. But [my wife] Susan and I want to begin to be in our lives as much as we are in our jobs. I'd love just to sit here and say, 'What movie's playing tonight?' I'd love to finish the new book about D-day I'm reading. I love painting, I love music." And if you can get through that without your gut falling out in dread: "But here's the thing: I can only be a guy on a call sheet probably, I don't know, maybe a couple more times. It's something I'm so grateful to have in my palm, and yet I already see its inevitable decay." He does leave room for hope by saying: "If Sherlock Holmes performs well, I could be busy for the next 5 or 7 or 10 years." But who knows whether that's just him appeasing potential fan backlash, dread at the thought of never catching a break, feeling uncertain in his career, or some other reason altogether. But if it's true and does happen, I shudder to think of Hollywood without his talent.Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Twilight Saga has whipped up a frantic fervor in fangirls, opening doors to female fandom while sticking incessant and neverending thorns in the folks who want Bella and Edward to go far, far away. But it's also brought up a pretty interesting argument: What makes a vampire? I teased about the notion yesterday when I wrote about the Daybreakers PSA; however, can we really define what makes a vampire beyond sharp teeth and a thirst for blood? And if we can, what is necessary and what can be finagled? Vampires have been around forever in some shape or form, flying through the worlds of folklore and darkness before shuffling into their modern guise of pale, 19th century blood drinkers. In 1819, John William Polidori presented The Vampyre ushering in this idea of the mysterious man entering high society, seducing young women with vampiric charm. "In spite of the deadly hue of his face, which never gained a wanner tint, either from the blush of modesty, or from the strong emotion of passion, though its form and outline were beautiful, many of the female hunters after notoriety attempted to win his attentions, and gain, at least, some marks of what they might term affection." From then on, no lady was ever safe. Filed under: FandomContinue reading What Makes a Real Vampire? Permalink | Email this | Comments

A whole bunch of casting rumors have arrived online this week, pushing some, like CHUD's ever-vocal Devin Faraci, to write an editorial-ish piece on why we shouldn't really be paying too much attention to these rumors because, well, they're rumors. And while your parents may have told you that rumors come from a stork who brings them in its mouth and drops them off on your pillow, the reality of the situation is that rumors can start from just about anywhere -- whether it's something overheard by some blabbermouth low-level assistant at an agency or something that's completely fabricated for more internet traffic (I'm looking at you The Sun and The Daily Express!), these days it's really hard to tell. That being said, rumors can be fun because they foster discussion and get those inner studio exec wheels turning in our brains, so here are a few making the rounds right now. Spider-Man 4 Who: Julia Stiles Role: Unknown, though with recent information somewhat confirming that Black Cat will be a character, folks are assuming she tried out for that part. Source: UGO are the ones claiming Stiles met with a casting company in New York City to discuss joining the film in some capacity. Our Thoughts: Stiles has been in a lot of films throughout her career, though she's dabbled in the big-budgeted before playing Jason Bourne's sidekick in all three Bourne movies. Thus, she definitely brings enough bad-assery to play a Spidey villain, and also enough sincerity to play a Spidey ally. Good choice for Black Cat in my opinion.Filed under: Action, Comedy, Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/GeekContinue reading Casting Rumors: Julia Stiles in 'Spidey 4', Steve Carell in 'Young@Heart' and More! Permalink | Email this | Comments

I love image editors like Photoshop. They've allowed me to make boring pictures funky, wipe the years off old and worn memories, and even get rid of the errant hair or blemish to make that nice photo truly shine. But I would give it all up and wipe my hands of them if it meant that the programs would be pulled out of the hands of Hollywood and the image-fixing machine. We're getting bombarded by all sides. It's bad enough that lazy frakking poster creators actually shovel out horse poop like the embarrassingly terrible poster for The Takers, one that doesn't even bother trying to match the skin tones of the stars' heads with the stunt bodies, or thinks Paul Walker has massive Science of Sleep-like hands. But we're also getting a never-ending onslaught of body de-hancements. I really can think of no better word for the folks like Ralph Lauren who are Photoshopping their models into sick, skeletal bodies. Adding to the pack is W Magazine, as BoingBoing shares. They scored an interview with Demi Moore and threw her up on the cover. While she may have discussed her dislike of being called a cougar, methinks she'd have more of an issue with what they did to her body. She's already ridiculously thin, but still, they edit. It looks like they tried to give her an "hourglass" shape (I use that term begrudgingly because it really doesn't apply when we're talking about skinny women who are Photoshopped to look curvy.), but worst of all -- they wiped out part of her already pencil-thin legs and were too lazy to make sure it matched. You can see part in the image above, look at the hip on the right, or in its full glory after the jump.Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Images, PostersContinue reading Fan Rant: The Ridiculous, Disgusting Photoshopping Must End! Permalink | Email this | Comments

The men behind Precious and Shooter are going back in time, according to Variety: Having had wild success with Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Lee Daniels is itching to go historical for his next feature. He's in "advanced negotiations" to helm Selma, a big-buzz Civil Rights-era drama penned by Paul Webb (Lincoln). The film, which would team him with Slumdog Millionaire producer Christian Colson, focuses on the marches between Selma and Montgomery in 1965, which were the peak of the Civil Rights movement. This means that while prospects of a Martin Luther King Jr. film might be hazy, he will get some time here, one would assume -- he was one of the leaders drawn to the area where marches quickly turned to "Bloody Sunday" with force from local and state police. And in a wholly different historic affair, it seems Antoine Fuqua and Spike Lee are getting ready for a pimp-n-ho crime spree. Fuqua will direct John Ridley's adaptation of the graphic novel Miss: Better Living Through Crime, with Lee executive producing. Set in 1900s New York, the project focuses on Sola and Slim, "a poor white girl who has learned to survive by hook or by crook since being expelled from the orphanage," and the "black pimp with an uncertain past, trying to keep one foot out of the grave." But, it's not as you might think -- the pair team up to become killers for hire. Along with Jennifer Hudson as Winnie Mandella, it's refreshing to see a whole slew of projects in the works free of African-American crossdressers-for-laughs. Filed under: Drama, Deals, Scripts, Comic/Superhero/Geek Permalink | Email this | Comments

Despite what the critics thought, people flocked to the end of the world epic 2012 which pulled in $230 million globally. Precious expanded into a modest 174 theaters but still managed to land the number three position. Here's the top five: 1. 2012: $65.2 million 2. A Christmas Carol: $22.3 million 3. Precious: Based on the Novel: "Push" by Sapphire: $5.8 million 4. The Men Who Stare at Goats: $5.9 million 5. Michael Jackson's This Is It: $5 million And moviegoers have three new releases to choose from this weekend. The Twilight Saga: The New Moon What's It All About: Do you really need to be told? This, of course, is the hotly anticipated sequel to 2008's Twilight. Bella's life continues down a dark path after Edward leaves her for her own safety. We've also got hunky bare-chested werewolves this time. Why It Might Do Well: The first film had a $70 million opening weekend in 3,419 theaters. I suspect owning film rights to the Twilight series is like having a license to print money. Why It Might Not Do Well: Some folks don't like their vampires to sparkle. Number of Theaters: 4,000 Prediction: $86 million The Blind Side What's It All About: A homeless teen is adopted by a conservative family and matures into a football star with the potential to turn pro. Why It Might Do Well: From a strictly personal standpoint, sports films don't really interest me, but this grabbed my attention. Also 67% at Rottentomatoes.com ain't bad. Why It Might Not Do Well: Well, there is that vampire movie coming out this week. Number of Theaters: 3,100 Prediction: $16 millionFiled under: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Box Office PredictionsContinue reading Box Office: Mooning the Planet of the Blind Permalink | Email this | Comments

And the list of women who may or may not appear in Spider-Man 4 continues to grow. Now Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood reports through her sources (who, when it comes to Marvel, seem to be pretty reliable) that producers have "approached" Anne Hathaway regarding a starring role in Spider-Man 4. It doesn't say she's been offered the role, or that she's in negotiations to take on the role, only that she's been approached. Finke also wasn't sure which role it would be, though all signs point to it being that of Black Cat -- who, in the past couple weeks -- has seen everyone from Julia Stiles to Rachel McAdams vying for a piece of that pus ... Spidey pie. Hathaway definitely showed off her acrobatic side in last summer's Get Smart, and certainly has enough of that hottie-yet-down-to-earth sex appeal to draw Mr. Parker into a web of problematic romantic entanglements. Personally, I still like Stiles for the role, but that's me. The studio, however, probably figures they'll get more butts in the seats with Hathaway. So we'll see. Regardless, we're getting close to an official announcement. Who do you want? Spider-Man 4 hits theaters on May 6, 2011.Filed under: Casting, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek Permalink | Email this | Comments

It's time for a brief reprieve from the romantic battles between painted-on vampiric pecs and CG fur. As you might know, the Spierig Brothers have whipped up an excellently dark vampiric flick called Daybreakers, which William Goss reviewed last month. The film is gearing up to hit screens on January 8, 2010, and in the midst of all the other vampire chatter out there, Lionsgate has whipped up a rather excellent public service announcement which you can see after the jump. If you have any questions or concerns about the movie, this PSA should answer them because it's a dead-on representation of the feature. It explains the film while also managing to describe the tone and style of the pic: dark, sleek, modern, and scary with a healthy dose of ridiculousness and comedy mixed in. These things might sound like they clash -- and to be honest, they do a little bit -- but not in any way that ruins the movie. You know that whoever made this clip had a perfect understanding of the film and could sum everything up with delivery rather than unnecessary exposition. (Yes, there's a voiceover in this, but it's different than saying: "Daybreakers serves chills and laughs.") If only we could get this with all the trailers and marketing that floods our way... Does the PSA tantalize you into seeing Daybreakers? [via CHUD]Filed under: Action, Comedy, Horror, Trailers and ClipsContinue reading For the Real Vampire Lovers: A 'Daybreakers' PSA Permalink | Email this | Comments

If Richard Linklater did not exist, I would never have thought his fame would be possible. Here's a director who has found mainstream success in intellectual thought and aimlessness -- not something Hollywood usually takes kindly to. Slacker earned raves, cult status, and inspired Kevin Smith to create Clerks. Dazed and Confused followed, quickly becoming one of the quintessential high school flicks, merging stoner simplicity with political and social discussion. Before Sunrise charmed audiences with romantic discussion, The Newton Boys revealed interests reaching beyond modern day, Waking Life took on rotoscoping to discuss philosophy, Before Sunset quickly became a widely loved talk-centric romance, then fast food and Philip K. Dick fare, and now time with Orson Welles. (Not to mention those penned by others, like the one-room drama Tape.) Yet the guy can't catch a flipping break.Filed under: Deals, DistributionContinue reading Why Won't Anyone Make a Richard Linklater Film? Permalink | Email this | Comments

When Sex and the City was on television, they tried to balance opulence with frugal flavah. Charlotte was buying a share in the Hamptons, but it meant that she couldn't buy shoes from the likes of James Urbaniak. Samantha had a great job, but still had to shop around for a home she could afford. Miranda had to move to Brooklyn to buy enough space for her family. And Carrie, she had all sorts of financial woes from credit cards cut in front of her to almost losing her apartment when the building went co-op. But when they hit the big screen, all fiscal responsibility flew out the window. On the cusp of the economic collapse, the Sex and the City ladies were reveling in lavish lifestyles, spending thousands on this or that, not seeming to have a money-related care in the world. But with tighter times, it looks like the sequel might be going overboard in the other direction. Hit the jump for the latest spoilers hitting the rounds.Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Romance, RumorMongerContinue reading 'Sex and the City 2' Spoilers Reveal a Whole Different World? Permalink | Email this | Comments

Attention children of the '80s: If you haven't already heard, television's Ken Ober died at the age of 52. The cause of death is not yet determined, although his agent noted that Ober "complained of headaches and flu-like symptoms on Saturday night." While he produced shows like Mind of Mencia and The New Adventures of Old Christine, he's probably best known for his time as the host of MTV's '80s quiz show: Remote Control. Remember it? Three players would get strapped into arm chairs, answer questions about television and film (basically anything that could be found on TV), find food raining down on their heads, and get entertained by the likes of Colin Quinn, Kari Wuhrer, Denis Leary, and Adam Sandler. It was part classic MTV ridiculousness, and part media junky geek party. In memory of the host and show, I thought I'd take us back in time for a few movie-centric bits after the jump. First, there will be Adam Sandler as the awkward "Stud Boy" while Ober doesn't think about the innuendo before saying "I'd love to give it to her." After that, scribe Zak Penn, who wrote flicks like PCU, Elektra, and X-Men: The Last Stand, pops up as a contestant. Now the latter is a little confusing, since the Zachary on the show says he's a biochem major at USC, and bios have him graduating from Wesleyan, but one look at the vid and this pic should quell confusion. Ken Ober, you're missed already.Filed under: Obits, Trailers and Clips, Stars in RewindContinue reading Stars in Rewind: Ken Ober & 'Remote Control' Permalink | Email this | Comments

To further prove that people with lots of money still care about people who used to have lots of money, The Daily Express reports that Johnny Depp may help bail actor Nicolas Cage out of his growing financial problems. Cage, as you may or may not know, is in some serious debt. He's already had two of his homes go into foreclosure, he owes something like $6 million in back taxes and he's currently suing his former business manager for $20 million claiming he sent "him down a path toward financial ruin." Now, though, things may be looking up for Cage as Depp could be coming to his rescue. The Daily Express says that Depp has contacted Cage and told him not to worry, that he'll sort everything out. Why Depp, you ask? Isn't that sorta random? What, was Depp a big fan of Con Air or something? Actually, no -- Depp feels like he owes his career to Cage in a way since Cage reportedly recommended Depp to his agent wayyy back in the day when Depp was a struggling musician. The story goes that Cage's recommendation led to Depp nabbing a role in the original Nightmare on Elm Street (his first), and the rest is history. So, is Johnny Depp really going to pony up some crazy cash to bail Nicolas Cage out of trouble? And can Hollywood somehow find a way to turn that into a movie with both power actors starring opposite one another? And would you go to see it?Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand Permalink | Email this | Comments

You gotta wonder how many studio people see the buzz and money pouring in for the Twilight franchise and want to break things -- not for dislike of the plot, but because that sucker was passed up by major studios and fighting turnaround before Summit grabbed it and made it for little money only to watch it earn a killing. But it looks like that will be nothing in comparison to what could happen with New Moon. According to Nikki Finke, the sequel has become the top advanced ticket seller ever on Fandango. Twilight was able to make it to the 5-spot, but was never able to bust through the biggie competition like installment number two (part of its success could be due to the film selling advanced tickets beginning in September). What's the biggie competition? The Dark Knight was 4, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince rested at 3, and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith used to be on top. Yes, folks, Stephenie Meyer's vampires are obliterating some of our classic fandom. Now the question is whether New Moon can break through to the top 100 grossing movies of all time. Twilight wasn't able to grab a spot on the list, making only $383 million, while the lowest spot is Die Another Day with $432 mil. But the first of the series also wasn't trouncing beloved flicks like The Dark Knight. At the very least, I'd presume it gets on the list. What do you think will happen when the werewolves and vampires descend upon the theaters this week? Could New Moon transcend its niche and becoming a regular box office success?Filed under: Box Office, Fandom Permalink | Email this | Comments

You think you're sick of seeing Twilight-centric posts on blogs? Imagine living in Forks, the poor Washington town hugging Olympic National Park which is the setting for the Twilight books and films (though much of it is filmed in Vancouver). As popularity in the series increases, fans flock to the small town to get a peek at the real thing, which means sparkly vamps all the time, everywhere. One day, you're enjoying your forest-thick hometown, and the next you're the focus of fangirl fervor -- your poor Chamber of Commerce having to field questions about safe, vampire-free camping spots. The Wrap has published a post looking into how the town is dealing with its newfound fame -- we're talking an increase from 8,000 yearly tourists to 67,000 -- and, subsequently, the copyright issues. We all know how far some studios can take copyright protection -- from bearing down on those who make any amount of money on a franchise's fame to fans who just like to make videos and computer wallpaper -- so of course, the big C would become an issue when a town cashes in on their new fame. But so far? The studio ain't biting! Of course, this is a special case -- you can't exactly expect a town not to cash in or appease the masses descending on the area all of a sudden (not to mention the town has been hit real hard by the recession). If they have to deal with the fans, they should get something out of it, right? Empty storefronts have been replaced with Twilight-themed fare, and as we recently learned, a Volterra-themed restaurant is in the works. One could hope this would change some of the other studios' iron-hand attitude towards copyright, but I doubt it. What do you think? How far should Forks be able to cash in on the situation before they've taken it too far?Filed under: Fandom, Exhibition Permalink | Email this | Comments

Kudos to Cinematical reader Kashif Pasta for sending this our way. On the latest episode of the Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast (which I didn't know existed, but now do and will totally listen more often), Up and Monster's, Inc director Pete Docter revealed the original pitch for Monsters, Inc. -- which was very different from what eventually hit the screen, and kinda reminded me of Where the Wild Things Are in a sorta-ish way. On this blog, Kashif separated the segment of the podcast where Docter reveals the original pitch (which came at about 22 minutes in), and it went something like this: "Well, my idea was that what it was about was about a 30 year old man who is like an accountant or something, he hates his job, and one day he gets a book with some drawings in it that he did when he was a kid from his mom, and he doesn't think anything of it and he puts it on the shelf and that night, monsters show up. And nobody else can see them. He thinks he's starting to go crazy, they follow him to his job, and on his dates, and all this- and it turns out these monsters are fears that he never dealt with as a kid. And each one of them represents a different kind of fear. As he conquers those fears, the guys who he slowly becomes kind of friends with- they disappear as he conquers those fears. It's this bittersweet kinda ending where they go away, and so not much of that stayed [...] it sounds better as a pitch than it did at the time- anyway. " Sounds like a pretty cool punch-in-the-gut kinda movie to me; something with real intense emotion. I like Docter in that way. I feel he likes to create these beautiful child-like movies with some pretty intense adult emotions behind them. It's part of what makes that Pixar crew so great and unique and powerful. You can listen to the audio from the Docter podcast over here.Filed under: Animation, Fandom, Newsstand Permalink | Email this | Comments