Right Cinema

Brad Pitt has had his share of movie roles over the years. Though as diverse as they have been, I don’t recall there ever being a sports movie in which he has appeared. But wait no longer sports fans. Rumor has it Brad Pitt has won the role of Billy Beane in the upcoming (it’s still in the writing stages) “Moneyball”, a film based on the book about the 2002 Oakland A’s. At the dawn of the 21st century, the Athletics were a team able to compete against the big dogs, even though they had a fraction of the revenue.

Brad Pitt

Screenwriter Steve Zaillian has signed on to write the film “Moneyball”, and David Frankel has been tagged to direct. Of the movie, producer Michael De Luca says,

“I think there should be a mix of a sports movie but also an anti-establishment triumph of the individual in terms of the way Billy Beane went up against conventional wisdom and the bureaucracy.”

For his part, Beane has had a pretty good sense of humor about the casting choice, joking,

“Apparently, Larry Baer [the Giants' president] wasn’t available. … I think it has really come down to the common denominator that we both have twins.”

See more photos of Brad Pitt and a video about the upcoming “Moneyball” below.

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Brad Pitt stars in “Inglorious Basterds” (2009)

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Here is the first official movie trailer for “Push”, a sci-fi thriller starring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning. The movie will be released in theaters February 6, 2009. See photos and the trailer here.

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Friday is movie day, and we have some good ones coming our way this weekend. Movies releasing Friday include “W.”, “Max Payne”, “Sex Drive”, and “The Secret Life of Bees”.

“W.” releases Friday

W.

“W” tells the story of President George W. Bush and his road to the White House and how it twists and turns once he gets there. But more than that, it appears to be a father-son story. A movie about our President and all of his ups and downs, well mostly downs, let’s be honest, “W” looks to be pretty entertaining, and a particular draw for fans of those Bushism-a-day calendars and watching people fall on their face. But not everyone is as thrilled for this film. Despite an amazing cast including Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss, James Cromell, and Thandie Newton, “W” falls short for some critics. It might be the rushed release to beat the elections, but it might just be the films documentary feel and wishy-washy ending. I guess there’s only one way to find out – see you at the theater tomorrow!

Max Payne

Mark Wahlberg stars in this action film about a DEA agent and an assassin, played by Mila Kunis, out for revenge for the murders of their family members. On their quest to get back at those who’ve hurt them, they will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a company. Unless you just love all things Marky Mark, though, you might want to avoid this one. One critic warns,

“‘Stay away from Max Payne — you don’t want to be near him when Judgment Day comes,’ a criminal warns in MAX PAYNE. Forget Judgment Day: You don’t want to be near MAX PAYNE when Movie Night comes around either — unless you’re one of those people who likes to howl at pretentious, empty-headed shoot-’em-ups featuring slumming stars.”

The film is based on a video game.

Sex Drive

Being dubbed “this year’s ‘Superbad’”, “Sex Drive” appears to be your everyday sex comedy that tries to push the boundaries even farther than the last teen sex comedy. As Roger Ebert explains,

This movie doesn’t contain “offensive language.” The offensive language contains the movie.

A cast of mostly newcomers, the movie does star Seth Green and James Marsden.

The Secret Life of Bees

This always happens to me – just as I finish a book that I didn’t realize they were making a movie of, the movie releases. This inevitably means that I don’t like the movie because 9 times out of 10 the movie will not live up to the detail, story, and character background that a book provides. But with this movie I feel like it could be different. Child prodigy Dakota Fanning is back as a little girl who runs away from her abusive father. The film is set in the sixties, and in a quest to find out about her mother, she falls into a house where three African-American sisters live together and make honey. A little love story, a little life lessons, “The Secret Life of Bees” is a great story, and should make a good movie. Alicia Keys and Queen Latifah also star.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

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Kevin Smith’s latest movie might be creating a lot of positive buzz among fans, but it’s a buzz of a different color with networks, radio stations and newspapers who have been asked to run ads for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”. Apparently having the word “Porno” in the title is problematic.

Kevin Smith, writer of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”

“Zack and Miri Make a Porno” stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It tells the story of two platonic friends who go into the adult film business together to make some extra cash. But the sparks start to fly off-camera once the two start making porn movies. A fun plot, but now news of the movie might have to spread by word of mouth.

Various advertising outlets have refused to host the commercials. The City of Philadelphia will not run the movie posters at its bus stops, and people in Boston are complaining of the ads that have already been placed, saying that they are inappropriate. Philadelphia deputy mayor for transportation Rina Cutler says,

“If they want to call the movie ‘Zack and Miri,’ that’s fine, but Zack and Miri cannot make a porno on my bus shelters.”

Even the Motion Picture Association of America banned some previews as not suitable for general audiences. Soon print advertisements might read, “Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks made a movie so outrageous that we can’t even tell you the title.”

See more photos of Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks and the preview for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” below.

Photos and Video

Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard in the sequel to Marvel Studio’s summer blockbuster, “Iron Man.” See photos and video of the Academy Award nominated actor who will appear in the highly anticipated sequel set for release on May 7, 2010.

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Oscar nominee Gerard Depardieu’s family has suffered a great loss. You know him, he’s the lovable dad in “My Father the Hero,” Leonardo DiCaprio’s costar in “The Man in the Iron Mask” and Chef Didier in “The Last Holiday” with Queen Latifah. Photos and video below.

Guillaume and Girard Depardieu

Actor Gerard Depardieu was born in France on December 27, 1948 into a poor family. He was quite a little trouble maker, dropping out of school at 12 living with two prostitutes, reputedly stealing cars and selling black-market cigarettes and alcohol (eventually landing briefly in prison). Thank goodness he enrolled in theater classes at 16. It seemed to pull him away from a life of juvenile delinquency. His various jobs as a young man ranged from boat crewman to singer, to beach attendant and farm hand before he became known as one of Europe’s most famous actors. After a long career and many milestones, Gerard retired from acting in 2005. He sounds like fun to me! He retired with a numerous amount of movies under his belt and should be relaxing and doing whatever it is Europeans like to do but instead he is dealing with the sudden death of his eldest son.

Guillaume Depardieu, died from pneumonia complications in a Paris hospital today, October 13, at the age of 37. While filming his latest film in Romania, the most promising young actor prize winner caught a virus that resulted in severe pneumonia. The end of a seemingly hard life. The actor was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that left him needing surgery on his knee. Due to complications, he was in and out of hospital for eight years after that. Back in 2003 he developed a Staphylococcus aureus infection, which led eventually to his leg being amputated. That same year, father and son had a public falling-out.

Guillaume, born on April 7, 1971, started acting in 1990’s and has starred in numerous French films. He and his dad even starred together in “Tous Les Matins Du Monde.” He also co-starred with his father in two TV miniseries, “Les Miserables” and the “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

No disrespect to the dead but Guillaume didn’t exactly take care of himself and that may have been why he couldn’t fight the virus that led to his death. In the past, Guillaume has been in trouble for drugs and, in June, he was ordered to spend two months in jail for drunk driving. Also, every single picture I’ve seen of him consists of him and a lit cigarette. Still, it is a sad situation and our hearts go out to Gerard and his family. Guillaume Depardieu is survived by his father; his mother, Elisabeth; sister Julie; half-sister, Roxane; and seven-year-old daughter, Louise.

More photos of the Girard Depardieu and a video of Guillaume in “Les Apprentis” below.

Photos and Video

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The “Saw” movies have been very successful since the first one hit theaters in 2004, and now the franchise is getting a Disneyland-like boost. Thorpe Park, a theme park in Surrey, England, is building “Saw – The Ride”, a thrill ride based on the gruesome adventures from the horror film.

Tobin Bell plays Jigsaw in “Saw”

Builders of the scary new ride insist that it will be the most frightening ever built … in the whole world. Makers have worked alongside Lionsgate to create the new theme park attraction. Creative director Candy Holland says,

“Anybody who has sat through a Saw film scared and terrified beyond belief will have some idea of what’s in store for them at Thorpe Park. Saw – The Ride is going to be shocking and intense, both physically and psychologically, and is sure to give you nightmares.”

Saw – The Ride will feature a 100-foot vertical lift, a 100° drop (the steepest in the world), three inversions, and a terrifying indoor section.

“Saw V” opens October 24, just in time for Halloween, but the new ride won’t be open until Spring 2009.

See more photos of the “Saw” actors and a video of Saw – The Ride below.

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Just like a hit pop song, if it’s played out – it fades out. It seems the once intrigueing genre of horror (“The Blair Witch Project,” “Cloverfield”) is already fading out. Critics and viewers alike point out the disappointing mistakes in the film “Quarantine.” Photos and video below.

Doug Jones in “Quarantine”

The film opens with television reporter Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman (Steve Harris) assigned to spend the night shift with a Los Angeles Fire Station. After a routine 911 call takes them to a small apartment building, they find police officers already on the scene in response to screams coming from one of the apartment units. Unbeknownst to them, one of the tenants has contracted a rare strain of rabies. After a few of her neighbors are viciously attacked, they try to escape with the news crew in tow, only to find that the Centers for Disease Control has quarantined the building. Phones, internet, televisions and cell phone access have been cut-off, and officials are not relaying information to those locked inside. The group of survivors get picked off one by one as the resident attack victims become flesh-eating zombies.

So the obvious flaw in a flick like this is predictability. As soon as the crew gets the call to the apartment building where the woman has been screaming and behaving strangely, it’s not rocket science to guess the rest of the film to be a zombie movie “with a culprit disease that, when initially identified, might elicit laughter.”

Mistake #2: Underestimating the surprisingly strong cast. One of the main characters is reduced to a whimpering, hyperventilating mess of a human being. Although, if I was surrounded by blood thirsty zombies, whimpering and hyperventilating would be me handling it well.

Mistake #3: As the LA Times says, “shame on the advance marketing department for blowing the end of the movie in ads, thus exorcising any ghost of a chance “Quarantine” had of issuing a surprise.” Seriously, by showing the main character alone with the camera getting dragged away by something, doesn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination as to how the movie ends.

Despite these mistakes, “Quarantine,” Screens Gems’ $12 million remake of a Spanish film called “REC,” managed to take the No. 2 spot at the weekend box office with estimated sales of $14.2 million! It just goes to show that the public loves the thrill of being scared and we will always be on a mission to find such a flick.

More photos of the cast and the trailer for “Quarantine” below.
Photos and Video

Here is the first official movie trailer of “The Unborn” a supernatural thriller starring Gary Oldman and Odette Yustman and written and directed by David S. Goyer, screenwriter of “The Dark Knight” and “Batman Begins.” The movie will be released in theaters January 9, 2009. See photos and the trailer here.

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Tuesday is DVD release day, and there’s just a few coming out this week. The DVDs releasing this week include the latest “Indiana Jones” flick and a collection of the “Matrix” trilogy.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Harrison Ford is back with one more go ’round of his Indiana Jones character. But this time there’s family members and a double cross involved. Shia LaBeouf plays Indy’s son who shows up to help just as Indy’s lifelong partner appears to be working for the other side. Unfortunately for fans of the Indiana Jones franchise, the latest George Lucas flick doesn’t live up to the reputation of the first three. It was actually pretty good until that whole outer space storyline came up, send the whole movie and Indiana Jones into an alternate universe.

War, Inc.

John Cusack stars in “War, Inc.” alongside Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei, and Sir Ben Kingsley, a movie which he co-wrote. Cusack plays a hit man who is hired by Tamerlane, a company occupying the country of Turaqistan which is run by a former U.S. vice president. Cusack is hired to assassinate a Middle Eastern oil minister because he plans to lay an oil pipeline through Turaqistan, which would foil Tamerlane’s plan for sole proprietorship of the country. For her part, Duff plays a trashy central Asian pop singer who is set to wed a powerful local politician. The film hopes to tackle a serious subject and add some humor along the way. It received great reviews on the film festival circuit.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Katie Holmes is moving back to the small screen. On the October 21st episode of “Eli Stone”, ABC’s latest hit comedy, she will guest star. And not only will Katie be appearing in the television show, but she’ll be wearing a skin-tight unitard and sexy black gloves. In addition, there’s a steamy song and dance routine.

Katie Holmes

In the episode, Katie plays a nonprofit attorney who is apparently required to sing and dance along the way. Actor Matt Letscher,

“She does a song-and-dance number that is the best one we’ve ever done. We’ve done tons of [musical numbers], and she was just phenomenal. She’s the sweetest person in the world, down to earth, simple. She’s just like anybody else. I met her daughter and her husband was on set. It was great.”

Others on set called her exquisite.

See more photos of Katie Holmes and a video from her “Eli Stone” appearance below.

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Joe Son, who played the Oddjob-like henchman Random Task in ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,’ has been charged with gang rape! Dr. Evil’s goon, 37, faces a maximum sentence of 275 years to life if convicted.

Joe Son

The Korean born, retired, real life, mixed martial arts fighter, is known for inventing his own martial art, Joe Son Do. He retired from martial arts in 2002, following a defeat to rival Jukei Nakajima. Son apparently had too much time on his hands after retirement. He pleaded guilty in May 2008 to felony vandalism. The plea required him to submit a DNA sample which investigators tested and found that Son’s DNA connected him to an unsolved gang rape back in 1990. Apparently a woman was pistol-whipped, raped, threatened with death and then blindfolded and released naked.

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