Right Cinema

“Veronica Mars” the tv show may soon be “Veronica Mars: The Movie” if creator Rob Thomas has anything to do about it. A VM film is something fans have been petitioning for a long time and now they just might get their wish.

Veronica Mars - Kristen Bell

Thomas and Kristen Bell sat down to discuss the future of VM on the big screen. Although Rob has two other projects that need his attention right now, he says, “…as soon as I have any free time, that’s my top priority.”

“Kristen and I ran into each other, and we did discuss a Veronica movie,” confirms Thomas, who says he has also had “a few conversations” with Mars executive producer Joel Silver.

Kristen seems gung ho to make the film, mentioning it several times in interviews. She’d also like to see it done sooner that later.

“As long as [Rob Thomas] knows we’d all be game, I hope one day he does do it, before we get too old.”

Sounds like the die hard fans are starting to be heard. I think it’d be a great movie. Way better than some of the crap being made today. Plus, Kristen Bell is great. If a film never happens, at least we can see her in “Heroes.” You can see more photos of the lovely Kristen and a video that sums up Veronica Mars below.

Photos and Video

Julia Roberts has just agreed to be part of Paramount Studios movie production of ‘Eat, Pray, Love.’ See more photos and video of Julia below.

Pictures provided by PR Photos.

Eat, Love, Pray is based on a bestselling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert wrote the book as she struggled in her personal life after a divorce. The three things she did to get through it: eat, love and pray.

Julia Roberts has had a long and very successful career as an actress. Julia was born in October of 1967. Her first movie role was in 1987, where she was unnamed in the film! The movie roles were small until she landed the lead role in Pretty Woman, where her hooker character was picked up by Richard Gere’s character. That movie, along with her small role in Steel Magnolia’s the year before, put her star on the map.

Julia has appeared in movies like Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Mexican and Charlotte’s Web. Some of her starring roles are with big co-stars as well. She has appeared alongside of Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Joan Cusack, Kirsten Dust, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Kiefer Sutherland, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Cameron Diaz, John Malkovich and Hugh Grant - just to name a few!

Eat, Pray, Love will not begin filming until 2009 and is not scheduled to be released until 2010.

Pictures and a video of Julia Roberts are below.

Photos and Video

Dances With Wolves is finally getting a sequel, eighteen years after the original movie made Kevin Costner a star. Granted, he was already a star, but that movie put him on the ‘famous’ map. See more photos and video of Kevin Costner below.

Kevin Costner

Pictures provided by PR Photos

The name of the film is The Holy Road, which is being written by Michael Blake, who wrote the two books on the story and the first movie. The Dances With Wolves Sequel began production in November of 2007, but Kevin Costner was not asked to take part. Which is too bad, considering Sylvester Stallone can continue being Rambo and Rocky at his age, which is much older than Kevin’s age. Kevin was even director of the first movie!

The film storyline begins 11 years after we left the characters in the first movie and continues in their sad saga.

Dances With Wolves also starred Mary McDonnell and Graham Greene. The film was a true epic and lasted over three hours long! That was unheard of for the time and a western, to boot.

The movie was so well received, it went on to win seven Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, a Grammy, a Writer’s Guild of America Award and many other international acclaims.

Pictures and a video from Kevin Costner are below.

Photos and Video

Oliver Stone’s upcoming movie “W” has been getting a lot of good press, especially for the photographs of Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush. But it’s the movie poster that’s the best part so far.

“W” Movie Poster

The “W” movie poster features several of our favorite Bush-isms under the headline, “The Improbable President”. So the movie’s a comedy then? It looks to be, as it pokes fun at the President and chronicles his road to the White House. But some people don’t think it’s the right time to knock the President. In fact, it took Stone awhile to find a company to pick up his movie. He says,

“When push comes to shove, all these media companies are chickens - they’re all part of conglomerates.”

“W” is scheduled to be released on October 17, 2008.

See more photos of Josh Brolin as W and a video clip below.

Photos and Video

Lorenzo Odone was the subject of the 1992 film “Lorenzo’s Oil” depicting his parents efforts to save him from the genetic disease ALD. Lorenzo died yesterday at age 30. You can see his biography and video from the film below.

Lorenzo Odone Dies

Lorenzo Odone was born May 29, 1978. He passed away one day after his 30th birthday. His father, Augusto Odone, contests that his passing was not related to the genetic disease adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, that Lorenzo battled. The cause of death is being attributed to pneumonia.

Lorenzo was diagnosed at age 5 and only given a few years to live. Due to his parents research, they “formulated a blend of erucic and oleic acids found in cooking oils,” which they claimed fought the disease. A study done in 2005 did show the patented oil can, in fact, prevent symptoms.

The film stars Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte as Lorenzo’s parents. Sarandon received an Oscar nomination for her performance. You can see video from the film below.

Video

Not many new DVDs releasing this week, but enough to write about. For both the big screen and small screen, we’re in the dead zone as far as exciting new releases go. But there’s a couple, so here we go.

“Rambo” Releases This Week on DVD

Rambo

Sylvester Stallone is back. In “Rambo”, both written and directed by Stallone, we find the always kickass fighter living a quiet life in the jungles of Thailand. That is, until he is hired by a group of mercenaries to travel to Burma to save a group of Christian aid workers. Fans have been waiting for more Rambo since 1988, but it looks like they might be a little disappointed. The New York Times writes,

“Rambo” is, for most of its fairly brief running time, a blood bath punctuated by occasional bouts of clumsy dialogue. There are beheadings, mutilations, disembowelings — enough gore to rival “Apocalypto.”

But if you’re looking for violent excitement, this might be just the movie for you this week.

Grace Is Gone

John Cusack made two movies about the war this year, “Grace is Gone” and “War, Inc.” “War, Inc.” is a satirical look at the capitalist side of conflict. But “Grace is Gone” is a much more emotional story. Cusack plays a husband whose wife has been killed in the line of duty in Iraq. With two daughters to raise, Cusack isn’t sure how to break the news, so he waits. Throughout the movie we watch him struggle with how and when to tell his 8 and 12-year-olds that their mother isn’t coming home. I’m guessing Kleenex are a requirement with this one - I needed one just for the trailer.

Cassandra’s Dream

“Cassandra’s Dream” is written and directed by Woody Allen. But with a plot that sounds a lot like “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei), it looks like Allen has backed away from comedy this time. “Cassandra’s Dream” follows two brothers down on their financial luck who turn to crime as a way to make some cash. When their Uncle Howard offers to help, by paying them to kill an old business associate, the brothers must come face-to-face with their decision. In the film we follow Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as they deal with the criminal decisions they make.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Though not set to release until November 7, 2008, “Changeling” is already starting a buzz of excitement. Starring Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich, “Changeling” is the story of a mother’s search for her lost son. Set in 1928, Angelina comes home from work to find her son missing. When a boy returns months later saying he’s her son, Angelina knows he’s not, and the quest to find the truth in the Prohibition Era begins. John Malkovich stars as the Reverend who helps Angelina along the way.

Angelina Jolie In “Changeling”

Clint Eastwood directs this promising drama. He says,

“A mother’s love is the whole driving force of the movie.”

When the script was laid in front of him, Eastwood was particularly impressed by how closely it followed the actual events of the time. In 1928, the mother’s story and her conflict with the LAPD had riveted Los Angeles and appeared all over the news.

“Changeling” premiered at Cannes. Clint Eastwood, Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt did the promotional rounds, and insanity followed. The press couldn’t wait to get their photos of a pregnant Angelina Jolie (twins!) standing next to Brad, but even without her baby bump Angelina would draw some attention with the powerful performance she pulls off in her upcoming film.

See more photos of Angelina Jolie on the set of “Changeling” and a video of Eastwood and Jolie discussing the movie below.

Photos and Video

Heath Ledger was brought to Hollywood with the expectation that the Aussie would be a heartthrob that could play the lead in light, formulaic, bubblegum, moneymaking vehicles. If the studios had their way, Ledger would play in a variation of 10 Things I Hate About You twice a year until he became too old and no one would take him seriously. However, Ledger’s talent and desire to be a great actor shattered Hollywood’s moneymaking schemes. He was on the verge of blazing a fantastic fiery trail, but like many before him, his star burned out much too soon.

Ledger gave one of the most memorable performances I have ever seen as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain (2005). He is also set to leave us with one last performance for the ages as the Joker in this summer’s The Dark Knight. After his passing, I was interested in watching his 2006 role as a heroin addict opposite Abbie Cornish in Candy. Candy is a story of two young artists who yield their love to the powerful hold of their heroin addiction. However, unlike most films about addiction, Ledger and Cornish were able to deliver their roles with a tragic beauty rather than a depressing sadness. Ledger described the movie as a love triangle between his character, Cornish’s, and lady heroin.

Although I am saddened by Ledger’s death, I look forward to what I expect to be a one-of-a-kind performance that will blow us all away this summer. Of course, there is another famous actor who once played the Joker, and he was not supportive of Ledger in this role.

In an interview with MTV, Jack Nicholson expressed his frustration:

I’m furious. I’m furious. They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me. . . . Maybe it’s not a mistake. Maybe it was the right thing, but to be candid, I’m furious. . . . [T]he Joker comes from my childhood. That’s how I got involved with it in the first place. It’s a part I always thought I should play.

Well Mr. Nicholson, I would like to go out on a limb and predict that Heath Ledger will be nominated for a much deserved Oscar for supporting actor as the Joker. Although Jack’s performance was very good, I think Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker will make Nicholson pale in comparison.

In an excellent interview with The New York Times, Ledger discussed his trouble sleeping and his use of sleeping pills. Of course, it is easy to speculate, but I would rather leave with this quote from that same interview:

But there are many stories inside of me and a lot I want to achieve outside of one flat note.

No one will ever accuse Ledger for being flat, and I look forward to see him tell the Joker’s story. He was an exceptional talent and a decent human being by all accounts. Whatever happened, and however it happened, I hope that he rests in peace.

Click below to watch a fantastic interview of Heath Ledger on Charlie Rose talking about “stillness,” his appearance on Ellen, and the trailers to Candy and this summer’s The Dark Knight.

Videos

There’s quite a selection of new DVD releases this week. Another Oscar contender is making the transition from silver screen to small screen, as well as a few other movies that look interesting. Here are your DVD releases for April 15, 2008. At least there’s something to take your mind off the fact that it’s tax day.

Juno

Juno

Everyone remembers “Juno” from Oscar season, and if you missed it, here’s your chance. A clever comedy about love and hope in the world of high school, which sometimes isn’t so lovely or hopeful, “Juno” tells the story of a pregnant teen dealing with her newfound situation. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner star in this instant classic which also features music by the Moldy Peaches (a great band). Set your Netflix queue people, because I’ve only met one person who didn’t like this movie, and those are pretty good odds.

Lars and the Real Girl

Oh, Ryan Gosling, where have you been all my life. He is an amazing actor who can go from playing a self-loathing Jewish teen (”The Believer”) to a drug-addicted basketball coach (”Half Nelson”). Now he’s a boy who is struggling with some personal issues, and he copes by dating a blow-up doll named Bianca, who he met “on the internet”. When the his therapist convinces everyone to just go along with the charade, it makes for an interesting movie. And this is the only movie I’ve ever seen that didn’t have a bad review on Rotten Tomatoes.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

When two brothers find themselves strapped for cash, they come up with a plan to solve their problems. Unfortunately, the jewelry store they target is their parents’, and the whole thing goes horribly wrong. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Marissa Tomei star in this dramatic thriller that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. The New York Times calls it “a chronicle of destruction … [without] a single decent human being in the whole movie.” And even though that’s the case, the reviewer loved it.

Also releasing this week on DVD is “Alien vs. Predator”, which I feel no need to tell you about it. Because if you don’t know what it’s about, then you shouldn’t be seeing it anyway.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

The new DVD releases run the gamit from Oscar winning, to suspense thriller, to mockumentary comedy, to family film, to political commentary. And here they are, your new movies for the small screen that are releasing tomorrow, April 8, 2008. There’s almost too many to count.

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood

The Oscar-winning movie “There Will Be Blood” was interesting and entertaining, but it left me hanging a little when I saw it in the theater. Nonetheless, Daniel Day-Lewis was completely deserving of his Best Actor Oscar. Because honestly, no one drinks your milkshake like Daniel Plainview. See one of the funniest SNL skits of 2008 after the jump, where the oilman drinks everyone’s milkshake.

Oh, the plot. Day-Lewis is an oilman in the early 1900’s whose quest for money and power shakes the lives of everyone in his path. When he is tipped off to the possibility of oil in Little Boston, Plainview and his son H.W. head west, and along the way tell the story of love, hope, community, belief, family, power and greed.

Reservation Road

Also on the dramatic side, “Reservation Road” is a film about two men’s reactions to a horrible accident. After Mark Ruffalo hits Joaquin Phoenix’s son with his car, he leaves the scene as the boy dies. During the course of the movie, Ruffalo’s character has to come to terms with what he’s done, while Phoenix’s character has to come to terms with the loss of his son. The movie follows the quest of Phoenix’s character as he seeks the man who killed his son and didn’t let anyone know about it. Although it sounds intriguing with some power-hitters in the line up (not only is there Ruffalo and Phoenix, but Jennifer Connelly joins the cast), the reviews were generally on the down side, calling the film “disappointing” and “clanking”, to name a couple.

Lions for Lambs

Another movie with an all-star cast is “Lions for Lambs”. This political drama stars Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. Redford plays a professor trying to inspire a young university student by telling him the story of two of his brightest alumni. Meanwhile, across the country, Cruise is a senator who thinks he’s found a way to make peace in the Middle East. Streep is the reporter who is sent to break the story. Their three worlds become entwined as the story unfolds. A movie to make you think, and a refreshingly different take from the myriad war films coming out these days.

Walk Hard

In the comedy arena this week, there’s “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”. John C. Reilly plays Dewey Cox, a musical man who makes his way to fame and fortune while overcoming some humorous misadventures along the way, which include sleeping with 411 women, marrying three times, and having 22 kids and 14 step-kids. It’s sure to inspire at least a laugh or two.

Also releasing this week are “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep”, a family film about the Loch Ness monster, “The 11th Hour”, Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary on the environment, and “Resurrecting the Champ”, a movie about a washed up boxer who sells a good story, starring Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson.

See the trailers of the movies below and the SNL millkshake skit.

Videos

Everyone ready for movie day? I think it’s time to ditch out of work a bit early and catch a matinee. The new movies coming out this week are “21″, “Run, Fatboy, Run”, “Stop-Loss”, and “Superhero Movie”.

21

In this week’s batch of new releases, we have an intense movie about some MIT card-counters, a British comedy about breaking up, a drama about soldiers returning to Iraq after one tour of duty has already been completed, and yet another spoof movie, this one playing off of the comic book superhero genre.

21

When I read “Bringing Down the House”, I loved it. The idea of this group of MIT students getting together and taking on Vegas seemed fantastic, and I wished that I could count cards. I even tried once, but the riverboat casinos of the midwest and the fact that I in fact cannot count cards kind of killed that dream. In “21″, which is best on “Bringing Down the House”, we find Ben Campbell, an MIT student looking for a way to pay his tuition. When he finds Kevin Spacey, his doubts about paying for school are put to rest. Spacey, as Micky Rosa, creates a finely-tuned team of students who work their magic at casinos nationwide. But it’s not all fun and games - it turns out casinos don’t really like to lose millions. “21″ stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, and Laurence Fishburne.

Run, Fatboy, Run

In this comedy, which is directed by David Schwimmer and stars one of my favorite British actors, Simon Pegg, we meet Dennis, a man with nothing he can’t run away from. According to the tagline, that includes love, commitment, and responsibility. After leaving his pregnant fiancee five years earlier, Dennis decides that he must finish something in life, so he opts for a marathon in London. Considering he’s kind of overweight and out of shape, the training gets a bit difficult. But his ex-fiancee’s new man is also running, so there’s a lot more to this prize than just a blue ribbon. But it sounds like Schwimmer’s directing debut gets off to a rocky start, so you might have to be patient with this one. “Run, Fatboy, Run” stars Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, and Hank Azaria.

Stop-Loss

“Stop-Loss”, an MTV drama starring Ryan Phillippe and Channing Tatum, strikes a cord with me because I know someone getting stop-lossed in a couple months and I think it’s bogus. But I won’t bore you with my political rants and try to stick to the movie.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a stop-loss occurs when you have less than a year left on your military contract, maybe even only a day left, but they send you overseas, say to Iraq, for 12- or 15-month tour of duty. Even though your time is up, you have to serve more months than you originally bargained for because the army shipped you out. Under the stop-loss law, the army can do this to a soldier for up to 10 years.

In the movie, just after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq, Ryan Phillippe is starting to get back to normal when he finds out he’ll be going back for round 2, even though he’s only got a day left on his contract. Stop-lossed. Releasing just days after the count of Americans who’ve died in Iraq has reached 4,000, the film is sure to get a reaction. Directed by “Boys Don’t Cry”’s Kimberly Peirce, one review says the movie,

“covers some of the same territory as those other features. The difference here is a quality of propulsive emotional intensity that pushes us over rough spots as it drives us insistently forward. … Peirce not only manages to powerfully hook us into the fate of men we barely know, she also shows how disturbed they are by the nature of combat in Iraq, by the way the enemy intertwines itself with innocent civilians and all but dares Americans to shoot.”

Of the movies releasing tomorrow, this is the one I’ll see first.

Superhero Movie

And this is the one I won’t see at all. How many spoofs like this are they going to make? It’s just not funny any more. There was “Scary Movie” 1 through 18, “Epic Movie”, “Date Movie”, and “Not Another Teen Movie”. When will it end? Please, make it stop.

Unfortunately, there’s at least one more coming are way: “Superhero Movie”. You get the idea - take every comic book superhero movie you’ve ever seen, roll them into one long spoof, and you might laugh twice. Leslie Nielsen stars in “Superhero Movie”.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Video