Right Cinema

Martin Scorsese’s documentary film on the Rolling Stones and their 2006 stint at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre , ‘Shine a Light,’ premiered last night in New York. You can see photos and video below.

Shine a Light

The Rolling Stones performed two concerts at the old Broadway theatre with guest appearances from Christina Aguilera, Buddy Guy and Jack White on October 29 and November 1, 2006. The film consists of concert footage with a mix of the band preparing to take the stage, past interviews and news clips. It was a hot ticket to say the least as The Beacon only holds 2,800, and fans were vying for tickets with the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Oscar-winning director, Scorcese, is also a fan.

“Their music has dealt with aspects of the life that I was growing up around, and it’s been a well of inspiration to this day.”

The band played some classics and other songs that they had never before performed live. ‘Shine a Light’ is set for a national release on April 4th. You can see more photos and the trailer for the movie below.

Photos and Video

Thomas Sangster is a young British actor who will be playing “Tintin” after getting hand picked by Steven Spielberg. You can see his biography, photos and video below.

Thomas Sangster

Sangster was chosen without having read any of the adventures starring Tintin and his trusty Wire Fox Terrier Snowy. He will start filming the first in a series of three films this September, which is projected to release in 2010.

Thomas Brodie Sangster was born May 16, 1990 in South London, England so his age is 17. Both of Thomas’ parents have careers in the arts. Thomas also has a sister, Ava, and is a once removed relative of Hugh Grant.

Thomas began acting at age 11 after getting a part in the TV series ‘The Adventures Of Station Jim.’ Not too long after he was nominated for ‘Best Actor in a mini-series’ for his role in ‘Entrusted’ at the 2003 Monte Carlo Film Festival. Sangster first appeared on the big screen in the movie ‘Love Actually’ and has since starred in ‘Nanny McPhee’ and alongside Ben Kingsley in ‘The Last Legion.’ All of this and he’s never taken acting lessons. His work must keep him busy because Sangster’s also never done drugs, rarely drinks and has never had a girlfriend.

Thomas only stands 5′ 3″ tall, but enjoys sports like tennis and skating. His other interestes include painting and design. He also enjoys a wide array of music with Eminem and Queen being two his favorites. He actually learned how to play the drums from his musician dad when he landed the role of Liam Neeson’s son in ‘Love Actually.’

You can see more photos and video of Thomas Sangster below.

Photos and Video

Tuesday is New DVDs Day, but there’s only a couple fresh titles hitting the shelves this week on April 1. Although, since Tuesday is April Fool’s Day, these titles somehow seem appropriate to have that holiday as their first day on the small screen.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Johnny Depp’s latest movie is a film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical of the same name. The interesting thing about this movie, though, is that it’s pretty gruesome as far as musicals go. You’ll see no Von Trapp family here.

Depp plays Benjamin Barker, and expert London barber whose wife and baby daughter are taken by Judge Turpin. After returning from exile, Depp plots his revenge against Turpin: murder. But he has to practice first, and he unleashes on unsuspecting customers. Helena Bonham Carter plays the meat pie shop owner downstairs who comes into a fresh supply of meat every time Depp finds a new victim.

The DVD is packed with special features that should help those viewers who were left wanting more. One of the features explores the real-life legend of Sweeney Todd.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Jason Lee has some great comedic talent on-screen, and he’s been a staple of Kevin Smith films for years. But lately he’s taken roles in family-friendly films, like “The Incredibles”, “Underdog”, and now “Alvin and the Chipmunks”. Lee plays David Seville, the father figure to the three ornery, musical chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore. Reviews of the film have been mixed, but kids are sure to enjoy the antics of the furry chipmunks.

The Good Night

The third new DVD release this week is a film I hadn’t heard of until now. Starring Penelope Cruz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Danny DeVito, and Simon Pegg, the movie is Jake Paltrow’s writing and directing debut. In the movie, we find a depressed Gary with dead-end job and bitchy girlfriend. Eventually, Gary seeks solace in his dreams, which star Penelope Cruz as Anna, and because the dreams are so much better than real life, he tries to sleep more and more, with the help of Tylenol PM, nightshades and a dream coach. It looks interesting enough, but it sounds like Jake Paltrow leaves the audience wanting and never really takes the movie anywhere.

See the trailers for “Sweeney Todd”, “Alvin and the Chipmunks”, and “The Good Night” below.

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Joss Stone is set to play a lesbian in a new movie entiltled ‘Snappers.’

Joss Stone Lesbian Film Role

‘Snappers’ isn’t the first time Joss will appear in a feature. In 2006, she had a small part opposite John Malcovich in ‘Eragon,’ but this will be her first major role. Stone is getting a lot of press for the part because she will be playing a lesbian in the film.

“There are things that are going to really push the boundaries — and that excites me.”

Caroline Quentin will also be starring in the movie. No word on whether Quentin is the one sharing “a long, lingering kiss” with Stone. I don’t know about the film, but I am looking forward to the soundtrack since Joss will be writing and performing.

You can see more pictures of Joss Stone below.

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Before winning an Oscar for best leading actor in Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman proved he can play the leading role and deliver a memorable performance in Love Liza. In the movie, written by his brother Gordy, Hoffman plays Wilson Joel. Dealing with the recent suicide of his wife, Wilson carries around an unopened suicide letter and numbs the pain by getting high on gasoline fumes.

No matter how sad or obscure the character, and he has played a few, Hoffman never fails to bring a unique sense of humor. There are few things sadder than the love of your life committing suicide, but Hoffman still finds the comedy in a seriously tragic character. High on fumes and dazed with denial, Wilson Joel sinks lower than most viewers are willing to go, but he provides some laughs along the way. Here are my three favorite randomly funny things from the movie:

1. Joel, a web designer, continues to awkwardly laugh at a simple joke told around the water cooler until every one of his fellow employees uncomfortably leaves.
2. When his friend wins some random remote control boat race, Joel is so elated with his clapping, jumping, and laughing that it in slow motion it looks like he is flying.
3. Every time Joel gets in trouble with his nerdy remote control buddy, Denny, Denny keeps playing the “his wife just committed suicide” card as a way to get them out of trouble.

Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a seriously thoughtful performance, and I would recommend Love Liza for sure. By the way, the next night I watched Hoffman in Charlie Wilson’s War. Let’s just say that I have never seen Philip give a less than excellent performance.

To refresh your memory, here are just some of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s memorable performances in supporting roles: 1) Brandt, the brown-nosing assistant in The Big Lebowski (1998); 2) Freddy Miles, the rich vacationing prick in Europe in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999); 3) Lester Bangs, the jilted rock critic in Almost Famous (2000); 4) Sandy Lyles, the once childhood star “making it rain” in Along Came Polly (2004).

If you love The Big Lebowski as much as I do, you could even go to the Lebowski Fest as Brandt.

Click below for an interview with Philip Seymour Hoffman about his new movie with Laura Linney, The Savages.

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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.

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Juno will be released on DVD April 15th, and the special edition disc will contain 11 deleted scenes. You can see one of those scenes below.

Deleted ‘Juno’ Scenes

Fox Searchlights has started promoting the release of the four-time Oscar nominated film by leaking a deleted scene entitled ‘Cafe Triste.’ The scene features Juno, Ellen Page, performing with her guitar on stage while Paulie, Michael Cera, and her best friend Leah, Olivia Thirlby, watch from the audience. The lyrics show how Juno is obviously upset with the support she is getting from Paulie.

You can see the deleted scene and more pictures from ‘Juno’ below. You can also pre-oreder on amazon.com for $22.99

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‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ is the latest film by Judd Apatow. Apatow is taking his ‘Superbad’ and ‘Knocked Up’ success into a film about breaking up that releases April 18.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ is about a couple who’s dated for six years, Peter (Jason Segel) and Sarah (Kristen Bell), who break up leaving Peter devastated. His friends convince him to go on vacation to Hawaii in order to forget about her, but Sarah is vacationing, too, with her new boyfriend. The movie is described as the first “romantic disaster” comedy.

For anyone who has ever had their heart ripped out and cut into a billion pieces comes a hilarious, heartfelt look at relationships.

Universal studios has started a viral marketing campaign to promote the movie. They’ve created web sites and bought billboards with sayings like ‘My mom always hated you, Sarah Marshall’ or ‘You do look fat in those jeans, Sarah Marshall.’ The signs were bought in Texas because the film will play at AFI Dallas International Film Festival on April 6 before opening nationwide twelve days later.

You can see the trailer for the film below.

Photos and Video

The Goonies falls squarely in that category of feel-good movies that you just have to watch every once and awhile to remind you of everything that is fun and good about movies and the world as we know it.

Well, I was flipping through channels last night, and my movie-watching soul jumped for joy when I saw that The Goonies was on TNT! So as I’m ready to snuggle with my favorite cuddly blue blanket and revisit all my fond childhood memories of first kisses, Cyndi Lauper, and hidden treasure, I noticed something. Brand Walsh, the cool, bandana-wearing, good-looking older brother in the movie looked oddly familiar. And that’s when it hit me. Brand Walsh looked like . . . like . . . Josh Brolin. No way, right? Well, yes frick’n way!

Oh my God! Brand Walsh has turned into a stud and one of the most successful actors this year. In case you missed it, Josh Brolin starred in both American Gangster and this year’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture – No Country for Old Men. I guess ‘ol Brand always did have the looks in the Walsh family.

The funny thing is I don’t ever remember hearing of Josh Brolin before this year. A quick glance at Brolin’s filmography shows that The Goonies was his first movie ever. After that, it was a long streak of forgettable roles until he picked up some steam in 2005 with roles in Milwaukee, Minnesota and Melinda and Melinda. Then Josh Brolin blew this mother up with roles in American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah, No Country for Old Men, and Grind House in 2007. Wow, rock on with your bandana-wearing self. Oh, by the way, Mr. Brolin is married to none other than Diane Lane. I guess she loves The Goonies as much as I do.

For a look at trailers for The Goonies and No Country and a short interview clip where Mr. Brolin discusses making The Goonies 2 next summer, click below.

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Julie Andrews has written her memoir entitled, ‘Home: A Memoir of My Early Years.’ The actress, who is known and loved for ‘Marry Poppins’ and ‘The Sound of Music,’ talks about a much darker side to her childhood in the book.

Julie Andrews Memoir

The life Andrews writes about is one of poverty and hardship. She discusses her family at length, saying she truly loved her father but was forced to live with her mother and stepdad after her parents divorced.

Julie’s parents divorced when she was eight, and eventually she went to live with her mother and her hated stepfather in a series of squalid digs, sleeping in a room where rats crept along the pipes, and having her scalp scrubbed and rinsed with vinegar to remove lice.

Julie also describes a time when her stepfather invited her into his bed to “cuddle” like mommy. The advances continued, along with her parents drinking, until Julie told her aunt and a bolt was put on her door.

Andrews does delve into her career, describing her rise to fame and it’s highlights, like singing before the queen, but it’s her friendship with Carol Burnett that raises curiosity. There have been rumors of an affair between the two and a very public kiss shared in a Washington hotel. Andrews does not discuss the incident but does describe Burnett as someone very close to her.

“I loved all that she was, all that she exuded - we bonded instantly,” adding: “I lost my own inhibitions and felt free beside her.”

The book will be released April 1, 2008 but you can pre-order your copy now. See more pictures of Julie Andrews below.

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Since the kiss felt around the world in The Notebook (2004), Ryan Gosling has extended himself as an actor playing roles far off the beaten path. In Half Nelson (2006), Gosling was nominated for a best actor Oscar playing an endearing eighth-grade drug-addicted teacher who develops a close relationship with one of his students who catches him smoking crack in the bathroom. In Lars and the Real Girl (2007), he is a shy and delusional young man who brings the love of his life, a blow-up doll, to his brother’s house. Anyone can make really obscure independent flicks, but Gosling is one of the few actors that draws you into becoming invested in his character and, in turn, becoming invested in the film.

Who could have seen this coming? The cute, baby-faced actor who got his start with the Mickey Mouse Club alongside Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera (that’s him second from left on the top row) and became popular with a well-done, but relatively safe movie in The Notebook, has become one of today’s finest and most daring actors.

Looking at Ryan Gosling’s filmography, I came across a film that he did way before the Notebook, and that proves to me that he has always been unafraid to take on challenging roles. What if a young kid raised as an Orthodox Jewish Yeshiva becomes a fanatically Neo-Nazi by his 20s? That is the plot of The Believer (2001), where a 20-year old Gosling delivers a one-of-a-kind performance.

The Believer is as disturbing as it is thought provoking. As much as I detested the Nazi ideals of Danny Balint (Gosling), I could not take my eyes off of him, and I could not stop trying to understand why. Why would this Jewish kid become a Neo-Nazi? Gosling is razor sharp in this movie, and I had to continuously remind myself that he was only 20-years old. Gosling’s character is deeply conflicted between his hatred for Jews and his ongoing battle with faith in Judaism. In a very simplistic way, you could compare it to a teenager who at once both loves his parents and hates some of the contradictions and hypocrisies any authority figure inevitably represents. As a brilliant young student, Danny’s continuous questioning and challenging of God and the accepted interpretations of the Torah (Old Testament) make him somewhat of an outcast. As he grows up and his anger matures, he finds answers and power through his following of the Nazi doctrine.

I would definitely recommend The Believer, but not if you are looking for a light-hearted entertaining movie. The controversial film forces you to think, and Gosling’s performance forces you to recognize his undeniable talent. Gosling is anything but safe in this movie, but he has shown us that he has no interest in playing it safe.

It is utterly absurd to watch The Believer, and then watch Gosling in the Mickey Mouse Club where he performed pop songs with Justin and JC Chasez. Watch the trailer for “The Believer” and a clip of Gosling in the Mickey Mouse Club below.

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Fridays are the best: no work for two days, guilt free happy hours, and new movie releases. Gotta love it. Although Spring is a little dead as far as new movies go, there’s at least one movie coming out this week that looks like it’s worth seeing, unless you listen to the critics.

Owen Wilson in “Drillbit Taylor”

The movies coming out tomorrow include “Drillbit Taylor”, a Judd Apatow-produced film starring Owen Wilson, “Shutter”, a horror flick starring Joshua Jackson, and “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns”, a romantic comedy starring Angela Bassett.

“Drillbit Taylor”

“Drillbit Taylor” tells the story of three kids who enter their first day of high school only to find that a bully named Filkins rules the place. Before he can torture them too much, though, the boys seek refuge in the form of a bodyguard. They place an add in “Soldier of Fortune” magazine, and although several answer the ad, only a homeless Owen Wilson fits the bill.

Although produced by Judd Apatow and written by Seth Rogen, both of “Superbad” and “Knocked Up” fame, as well as John Hughes and Kristofor Brown, critics aren’t saying that the movie lives up to the hype. Although the darkness of the bully is offset a bit by the laughs of Owen Wilson, apparently the director tries too hard and bully is just too creepy. And the three boys are said to be the reincarnation of the “Superbad” boys, only the PG-13 and less funny version. But I have a lot of faith in Owen Wilson, so maybe it will be as hilarious as the previews hint.

“Shutter”

If you’re looking for a movie on the opposite end of the spectrum, “Shutter” might be more up your alley. The film stars Joshua Jackson as Ben and Rachael Taylor as his wife Jane. The two go to Japan to photograph a fashion shoot, but while in Tokyo there’s a car accident that kills a girl. From that point on, Ben starts seeing a white blur in all of his photos that just might be the spirit of the crash victim.

Maybe it’s that I’m just not that into scary movies, but I’ll pass on this one. Even though I’d still have a crush on Pacey if “Dawson’s Creek” was on the air. What happened to those WB reruns?

“Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns”

And last, and probably least, we have the 57th Tyler Perry movie to come out, “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns”. What’s unfortunate about this one is that when I first saw the preview I thought, “this looks pretty good, and who doesn’t love Angela Bassett?” But then I saw the title. Why does Tyler Perry have to put his name in everything? Why? It’s drivers me crazy, and because he does it, I’ve never seen a Tyler Perry movie or even his television show. It totally ruins it. And it’s unnecessary. People will know it’s your movie if they care even you don’t star as eight characters and stamp your name all over. But I digress. How about the plot …

Angela Bassett plays a single city mom who takes her three kids to Georgia for the funeral of the father she’s never met. While there she meets her family, the Browns, who just might convince her to stay awhile.

See the movie trailers for these new releases below.

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Meet Angelina Roudeva, the model who sued Ethan Embry in 2007, alleging the actor left her scarred head to foot after his motorcycle that they were both riding crashed. See her biography and photos here.

Angelina Roudeva

Although trial was to begin today in the lawsuit pending against actor Ethan Embry, Angelina and Ethan settled for an unknown amount and avoided court, although the deal was rumored to have reached six figures.

As a biography, Angelina Roudeva is a 23-year-old model living in San Francisco, California. Her measurements are 5′7″, 118 lbs., 33-24-30. She used to open one of the cases on the television show “Deal or No Deal”.

In 2005, Angelina was in a motorcycle accident while riding on the bike of actor Ethan Embry. You might remember Ethan from films like “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Can’t Hardly Wait” and “Dancer, Texas Pop. 81″. Angelina, who was injured during the accident, sued Embry in 2007, two years after the two wrecked while driving from Club Nationale.

In the lawsuit, Angelina alleged that Embry had been drinking prior to the accident. Then, instead of seeking medical attention for her while she was injured, he carried her back to his place and poured cold water and rubbing alcohol on her wounds. She claims that she has suffered severe and permanent injuries because of the accident.

See more photos of Angelina Roudeva below.

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For my first post ever on Right Cinema I wanted to take a look at 5 actors that I think are on the top of their game today, right now, as we speak. As we take a closer look at these great actors, I’ll spend the next week or two reviewing some of their lesser-known roles.

I struggled awhile deciding on what factors to consider when putting this list together, but I thought I should trust my instincts. So, off the top of my head and in no special order (except for my honorable mention), here are my favorite five actors along with their respective movies that I’ll be reviewing:

1. Ryan Gosling – “The Believer”
2. Christian Bale – “Empire of the Sun”
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman – “Love Liza”
4. Daniel Day-Lewis – “The Boxer”
5. Don Cheadle – “A Lesson Before Dying”

Honorable Mention: Heath Ledger – “Candy”

The common thread that holds these actors together in my mind is that they all create new characters that shine and that we as viewers gravitate towards, as opposed to letting their celebrity cast a shadow on the characters. This is no easy task because there is a very thin line every famous actor walks where either they become the character, or unfortunately the character becomes them. Some of the best actors have spent most of their careers in the first category only to wake up one day in the second (see, Jack Nicholson).

There has already been a lot of Oscar success with this group: Daniel Day-Lewis (2 Oscars and 4 total nominations), Philip Seymour Hoffman (an Oscar and 2 nominations), and Don Cheadle, Heath Ledger, and Ryan Gosling have all been nominated for an Oscar for Actor in a Leading Role for their respective roles in Hotel Rwanda, Brokeback Mountain, and Half Nelson. However, what I truly respect and love about these guys is that they are never afraid to take on a completely different role and give themselves to the character to the point that you forget you are watching the actor, and all you see is the character they are playing. I can’t wait to pop some popcorn and watch these movies!

First up will be Ryan Gosling and a review of his movie “The Believer.”

See the trailers for these six lesser-known movies below.

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