Kitano takes oddball look at world of art - Reuters
Japanese cult director Takeshi Kitano turns his oddball gaze on what he calls the "cruel" world of art and art collecting in his latest movie, which has its premiere at the Venice film festival on Thursday.
1. Tropic Thunder - $16.3M
When the box office champ Ben Stiller\'s comedic performances aren\'t a variation on a soft-spoken, put-upon everyman with an eventual fuse, he\'s usually playing a full-blown absurdist monster with an apoplectic Napoleon complex. These bizarre creations usually adorn films in which the funnyman provides the supporting work (DODGEBALL, HEAVYWEIGHTS), but, whenever he\'s directing, he\'s free to build an entire filmic universe around his asinine, ludicrously funny, culture-skewering characters and premises. His ZOOLANDER (2001) bit at the entertainment industry with silly abandon, but Stiller has firmly set TROPIC THUNDER within the realm of sophisticated Hollywood satire. In it, a desperate director named Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) trying to make a Vietnam war movie drops his pampered actors into the heart of the jungle. Cockburn\'s stars include Stiller as an action hero who\'s starting to make bad career choices, Jack Black as an insecure low-brow comedy star going through heroin withdrawals, and Robert Downey Jr. as an Australian Oscar winner so lost in his "craft" he underwent a procedure to become black for his role. In the jungle, they remain under the delusion that they are still being filmed even after they encounter a dangerous gang of druglords. The film\'s basic premise has popped up several times since Hollywood\'s 1970s golden age in films such as THREE AMIGOS! and GALAXY QUEST. Where those films simply blanketed a classic Overconfident Bumbling Idiot comedy showcase with a pop culture lexicon, however, TROPIC THUNDER could have only been made, as on-the-nose at is, by people who have been working in the Hollywood system for years, making cutting observations along the way. Simply put, this raucous satire knows big-budget filmmaking, the delusional narcissism of actors, and even the good points of those actors--perhaps why they\'re celebrated--like the back of its hand.
Disaster Movie opens August 29th, 2008 (wide)
Fans of the side-splitting spoofs of MEET THE SPARTANS and DATE MOVIE will get plenty of laughs from this film from directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. The directors reunite with Carmen Electra, and their film also features Matt Lanter, Vanessa Minnillo, Kim Kardashian, and comedian G Thang.
Spielberg, Affleck, J.Lo at Democratic convention - AP
Spielberg! Affleck! J.Lo! They were among the Hollywood celebrities attending events in Denver as the Democratic National Convention nominated Barack Obama as the party's presidential candidate.
2. The House Bunny - $14.5M
Shelley (Anna Faris) is proud of her status as a bubbly blond Bunny, that is, until she gets kicked out of the Playboy Mansion for reaching the ripe old age of 27. So Shelley is forced to be the new house mother for the Zeta Alpha Zeta sorority, where she uses her talents to transform the plain jane sisters into cute boy magnets. Colin Hanks, AMERICAN IDOL\'s Katharine McPhee, and Emma Stone costar in this giggle-filled comedy.
Terrence Howard hopes to be music hit too - Reuters
Terrence Howard earned an Oscar nomination for his role as a pimp aspiring to be a rapper in "Hustle & Flow" but the 2005 movie also shone a spotlight on the actor's musical talents and helped him land a record deal.
3. Death Race - $12.6M
Roger Corman\'s cult classic film DEATH RACE 2000 gets a fast-moving follow-up with director Paul W.S. Anderson (AVP: ALIEN VS. PREDATOR) behind the wheel. Jason Statham (THE TRANSPORTER) plays Jensen Ames, a prisoner who is serving a sentence for a crime that he didn\'t commit. But in this futuristic society, Ames can compete for his freedom with a victory in a brutal three-day race.
4. The Dark Knight - $10.5M
With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman has been making headway against local crime...until a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker unleashes a fresh reign of chaos across Gotham City. To stop this devious new menace--Batman\'s most personal and vicious enemy yet--he will have to use every high-tech weapon in his arsenal and confront everything he believes.
College opens August 29th, 2008 (wide)
Drake Bell of Nickelodeon's DRAKE AND JOSH grows up with this raunchy comedy about a trio of high school seniors on a college visit. When they arrive on campus, the three teens are recruited by a party-loving frat with hilarious results.
Kardashian & Electra talk fitness, film and fame - AP
Carmen Electra, in a low-cut gold minidress, captures every photographer's attention as she steps out on a patio overlooking the Pacific. Her hair catches the ocean breeze as if on cue. Even her fiance is transfixed. He snaps a few photos with his cell phone. Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian, wearing a tight tank top and slim-fitting skirt, waits in the wings for the cameras to point her way.
5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - $5.7M
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS showcases an entirely new look and feel to the galaxy far, far away - combining the expansive scope of the Star Wars Saga with state-of-the-art computer-generated animation. On the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil, fans young and old will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin\'s padawan learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains - led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and General Grievous - are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and the fate of the Star Wars universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and astonishing new revelations that fill STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS.
Young People F@cking opens August 29th, 2008 (limited)
This frank--and frankly hilarious--Canadian indie certainly lives up to its risqué title, but there's more going on in than just sex in this debut from writer/director Martin Gero. Though the filmmaker has plenty of experience from his work on sci-fi favorite STARGATE: ATLANTIS, this comedy presents a reality-based look at relationships in the real world. YPF follows one night in the lives of four couples and one threesome. There's a pair on their first date, with a British bad boy (Callum Blue) trying to seduce his young coworker (Diora Baird). Meanwhile, a longtime couple (Kristin Booth and Josh Dean) attempt drastic measures to drag themselves out of their sexual rut. Though Mia (Sonja Bennett) and Eric (Josh Cooke) have ended their relationship, they try to reconnect on a physical level, but some old feelings resurface. Two close friends (Carly of POPULAR fame and writer Aaron Abrams) decide to add a new dimension to their relationship, but it turns out that there may be some emotions hidden beneath their buddy-buddy interaction. And finally, there's the awkward contact between two roommates at war (Peter Oldring and Ennis Esmer) who can only agree on the hotness of one of their girlfriends (Natalie Lisinska), but they decide to spend the night as a trio. YPF is fresh and funny, and it's hard not to identify with at least one of the pairings. The dialogue is witty, but it never feels rehearsed. Though most of the actors are unknown south of the Canadian border, each of them gives a heartfelt, genuine performance that should lead to more work in the future.
George Clooney takes to "Air" - Reuters
George Clooney is in talks to star in "Up in the Air," an adaptation of the 2001 Walter Kirn novel, with Oscar-nominated "Juno" director Jason Reitman behind the camera.
6. Pineapple Express - $5.5M
While it might sound outlandish to speak of THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS in the same sentence as CITIZEN KANE, in its own little neck of the cinematic woods the Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen comedy is perhaps just as groundbreaking. In fact, it\'s nearly impossible to think of another film that blends so seamlessly pitch-perfect stoner babble with high-octane action sequences. <br><br>Dale Denton (Rogen), a process server with a weed fixation, witnesses a murder and turns to his dealer, Saul (James Franco), for support. The murderer is actually Saul\'s main drug supplier, and because of Saul\'s access to some extremely rare high-grade pot (called Pineapple Express) the two are quickly tracked down and put on the run. Like all Apatow/Rogen vehicles, the movie deals with the theme of men succumbing to adulthood and all the adjustments they are forced to make in the process. However, unlike KNOCKED UP and THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is just too wacky to offer any lessons. Still, there\'s more going on here than giggles and the munchies. Indie director David Gordon Green (SNOW ANGELS) brings a subtle auteur\'s touch to the proceedings, approaching the smoking scenes with his distinctively loose feel and giving the action sequences a wonderfully dated sheen that makes them look more like a fight from KNIGHT RIDER than the empty flash of 21st-century blow-em-ups. It is Franco, however, who truly steals this movie--he hasn\'t been this charming since his days on FREAKS AND GEEKS. There\'s only so many ways to play a stoner, but Franco puts his own endearing, lovable spin on the type, portraying Saul as a kind-hearted, well-intentioned yet hardcore dope smoker. Rogen and Apatow have proven themselves a nearly unstoppable juggernaut; here\'s hoping they bring Franco along on the ride a little more often.
Babylon A.D. opens August 29th, 2008 (wide)
Vin Diesel muscles his way from Eastern Europe to New York City in this post-apocalyptic thriller. The actor plays a mercenary who must take a package west in the midst of a crumbling world, but the package is more than it appears. French director Mathieu Kassovitz (LA HAINE, GOTHIKA) helms this film based on the novel BABYLON BABIES by Maurice G. Dantec.
7. Mirrors - $5.0M
French director Alexandre Aja adds to his growing canon of horror features with this remake of the Korean feature GEOUL SOKEURO (2003). Kiefer Sutherland stars as Ben Carson, a disgraced former New York City cop who attempts to put his checkered past behind him by taking a job as a security guard. Carson is required to take the night shift in a department store in the city. The store closed down after a fire put an end to its business, and Carson soon discovers that malevolent spirits are lurking behind its walls. The spirits connect with the human world through the mirrors in the store, and when they discover Carson\'s presence they go after his ex-wife, Amy (Paula Patton), and his kids (played by Erica Gluck and Cameron Boyce). Carson attempts to figure out the meaning of a cryptic message carved into one of the mirrors, hoping it will save his family and cut off contact with the malignant lurking presence.<br><br>Aja successfully replicates much of the tension and edge-of-your-seat moments that he managed so skillfully in HAUTE TENSION (2003). The film begins with an unnerving set piece in which Carson\'s predecessor takes a shard of mirror and slashes his own throat, and it\'s an indication of the gore-filled fun that awaits intrepid viewers. Aja creates a palpable sense of unease by shooting dim-lit set pieces in the department store. Sutherland makes for a convincing lead in a character that closely resembles his turn as Jack Bauer in 24. There are plenty of genuine scares in the film, and the director ultimately spins MIRRORS as a cross between a psychological thriller in the vein of the POLTERGEIST movies and a no-holds-barred splatter flick.
"Burn" finds Coen brothers in goofy mood - Reuters
In "Burn After Reading," the Coen brothers have taken some of cinema's highest-profile and most expensive actors and chucked them into looney-tunes roles in a thriller set in and about Washington.
8. Mamma Mia! - $4.3M
MAMMA MIA became a Broadway smash when it hit Broadway back in 2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop band Abba, crowds loved its raucous, dance party vibe. Now it comes to the silver screen, with some truly delightful performances from the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. It is the story of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a young woman living on a picturesque Greek island with her mother, Donna (Streep.) Together, Donna and Sophie run a ramshackle island inn, and they are in the midst of preparing for Sophie\'s wedding. As the wedding approaches, Sophie becomes troubled by the fact that she has never known her father. She was the result of one of her mother\'s summer flings, and her mother has never revealed her father\'s identity. When Sophie stumbles upon her mother\'s diary, she learns that there are three possible men who could be her dad. Without telling her mother, she invites all three to her wedding. When Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Brosnan), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) all arrive at the same time, Donna is of course shocked and overwhelmed by seeing her old lovers again after such a long time. She turns to her two best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranaki) and Rosie (Julia Walters), for their support, and vows to just get through the wedding and weekend. Meanwhile, Sophie spends time with each man, determined to learn the truth.<br><br>Major hijinks and confusion ensues, all amidst the utterly romance scenery, and the rather irresistible, swelling love ballads. Streep has a lovely singing voice, and to watch her throw herself into this whimsical role is truly a delight. She looks like she is having a ball, and it is hard not to shimmy along with her. Baranski reliably delivers an over-the-top showstopper, and Brosnan\'s tender singing voice makes his character all the more touching. The film strives to be a jubilant celebration of mother/daughter relationships and the love between good friends, and no matter how cheesy some may find Abba, it is hard to resist its many charms.
Goal! II: Living The Dream opens August 29th, 2008 (limited)
This sequel to 2006's GOAL! THE DREAM BEGINS finds Santiago Munez established as a soccer success in Newcastle. But he soon jumps at the chance to play for Real Madrid with icons such as David Beckham. However, Santiago discovers that money and fame don't necessarily bring happiness as he loses himself and his relationship with Roz (Anna Friel).
DISPATCH FROM DENVER | Filmmakers Descend Upon DNC: Schnack's "Convention" Unites Top Doc Directors; Hickenlooper Shoots "Mayor"; Norton Tracks Obama - indieWIRE
Alongside the thousands of journalists reporting on the Democratic National Convention here in Denver, teams of filmmakers have been fanning out across the city to tell stories that might otherwise be overlooked. AJ Schnack ("Kurt Cobain About a Son") has tapped a cadre of acclaimed indie filmmakers to shoot a feature doc about the convention. Meanwhile, George Hickenlooper ("The Mayor of Sunset Strip," "Hearts of Darkness") is tracking his cousin, Denver mayor John Hickenlooper, while directors...
9. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - $4.2M
Filled with spectacular action and sharp banter, THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR finds the dashing Rick and Evelyn O\'Connell (Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello, who took over for Rachel Weisz) called upon for another world-saving adventure. The film opens in 50 B.C., when the ruthless Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) seeks to conquer one last enemy, death, and become an immortal ruler. But when the Emperor betrays an obliging sorceress (Michelle Yeoh), he and his army are cursed to spend an eternity in statuesque limbo. Fast forward to 1946, when Rick and Evelyn are struggling to adapt to their self-imposed retirement. But the fates have other plans, and soon the O\'Connells are crossing paths with their somewhat estranged son, Alex (Luke Ford). While enthusiastically carrying on the family\'s tomb-raiding traditions, Alex has unwittingly brought the Dragon Emperor back to life. With the world in peril, the O\'Connells must overcome their differences to prevent the Dragon Emperor from gaining immortality for himself and his army. Along the way they\'re joined by a mysterious young woman (Isabella Leong), a wily pilot, and a trio of Abominable Snowmen. Jumping from Shanghai to the Himalayas to the Chinese desert, director Rob Cohen (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS) takes audiences on a breathless adventure that continues THE MUMMY\'s love of quick wits, close calls and big battles. The result is a spirited romp that proves evil is no match against a family united.
I Served the King of England opens August 29th, 2008 (limited)
Director Jirí Menzel and novelist Bohumil Hrabal teamed up with Oscar-winning results for the classic CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS, and this Czech film repeats their pairing. I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND follows Jan Dite through his life which, as a man living in 1930s Czechoslovakia, has more than its share of highs and lows.
10. The Longshots - $4.1M
Curtis Plummer -- a down-on-his-luck former high school football star -- turns his niece, Jasmine, into the quarterback of the local team, the Minden Browns, and gets his stride back when he becomes the team coach. With Curtis as their new leader and their pigtail-wearing star player, this team of misfits wins its way to the Pop Warner Super Bowl and the small city of Minden, Illinois, is ignited with team spirit, town pride and the glory it once knew.
Year of the Fish opens August 29th, 2008 (limited)
This indie film at once fuses animation with live-action and fairy tales with modern life. In THE YEAR OF THE FISH, Ye Xian (An Nguyen) has just arrived in New York City from China, but her hopes for the American dream are soon dashed. When she won't provide clients at the massage parlor where she works the requisite "happy ending," her boss (Tsai Chin) relegates her to cleaning and laundry. However, the gift of a goldfish from an odd man (Randall Duk Kim) and a budding relationship with a jazz musician (Ken Leung) help to give Ye Xian some hope. This contemporary take on Cinderella was shot on video, but digital painting in post-production gives the film a beautiful, dreamy look.
Sukiyaki Western Django opens August 29th, 2008 (limited)
Two connoisseurs of violence--prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike and American icon Quention Tarantino--team up for this genre mash-up. SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO follows two clashing clans in Japan as they both try to lure a talented shooter to their side. Tarantino makes a brief appearance in this film that pays homage to both the spaghetti western and classic Japanese cinema.
Tween-friendly music films rock DVD sales chart - Reuters
Two Disney DVD releases with tween appeal, "Camp Rock" and "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," debuted at Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, on the national home video sales chart for the week ended August 24.
Sudanese plane hijackers surrender in Libya - Reuters
The hijackers of a Sudanese airliner surrendered to authorities in Libya on Wednesday after releasing all the passengers and crew, Libya's aviation authority said.
Here! Films acquires "Queen Raquela" - Reuters
Here! Films has acquired North American rights to the transsexual drama "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela," winner of the Teddy Award for best feature at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival
Actors, advertisers extend commercials contract - AP
Two actors unions and the U.S. advertising industry said Monday they agreed to extend a contract covering commercials on TV, radio, the Internet and other new media by six months through March.
FEATURE - A Mirthful Mancunian - FilmStew.com
Flawed characters have made Steve Coogan a star in his native England. This summer, the Manchester native is aiming to broadside the U.S.
99 BOTTLES of Celluloid - FilmStew.com
When you live in a town where the name of the baseball team is the Milwaukee Brewers, guess what a trio of local documentary filmmakers might dub "Wisconsin's worst kept secret?"
Venice Film Festival opens with Hollywood flash - AP
The Venice Film Festival opened Wednesday night with the premiere of the Coen brothers' dark comedy "Burn After Reading," giving a flash of Hollywood glamour to a festival lineup with a definite art house feel.
Venice opens with Pitt and Clooney in madcap comedy - Reuters
Brad Pitt and George Clooney star in a madcap comedy by the Coen brothers in which two gym employees get caught up in the cloak-and-dagger world of international espionage, with results both daft and deadly.
Writer's view of Sarajevo war to become film - Reuters
What started out as a personal journey to escape grief following his wife's death led Bill Carter to Sarajevo during its long siege in the 1990s, where he witnessed both terrible suffering and uplifting hope.
`Burn After Reading' opens Venice Film Festival - AP
The Coen brothers wrote their dark comedy, "Burn After Reading," with stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand in mind. Not necessarily a compliment.
Tilda Swinton digs in for charity in Venice - AP
It wasn't as easy as it looked. Tilda Swinton's first attempt at making clay impressions of her hands part of a fundraising effort to help restore Venice's St. Mark's Square barely left a print.
DISPATCH FROM VENICE | Personalities Aside, Venice Follows up on a Masterpiece - indieWIRE
More perhaps than any other A-list festival, Venice's fortunes seem bound up with the character of its director, the inimitable, mostly unknowable Marco Mueller. Like many festival veterans, Mueller doesn't lack for detractors. Festival gossips have thrilled for years to tales of his bad behaviour while at the helms of Rotterdam and Locarno -- everything from screaming abuse at his staff, and enacting violence upon defenceless office furniture, to his habit of reneging on promises with a blithe...
Review: `Frozen River' a gripping slice of life - AP
When the two women first cross the river together in the dead of winter, in a rickety Dodge Spirit Melissa Leo's character, Ray, says what the audience is thinking: "This is so ... stupid."
India's "Hari Puttar" caught in Harry Potter spell - Reuters
Hollywood's Warner Bros., which owns the rights to the Harry Potter movies, is suing an Indian production company whose new film is called "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors," the studio said on Wednesday.
Michael Moore's pals make documentary films - AP
They make movies that deal with unpleasant topics such as war and racism, yet are entertaining and even humorous. They're passionate, mischievously creative, politically liberal.
Swank swoops in for "Borrowed" rights - Reuters
Hilary Swank's 2S Films production company has picked up the screen rights to Emily Giffin's 2005 debut novel, "Something Borrowed," as well as its sequel, "Something Blue."
"Dead Men" still a go for Toronto festival - Reuters
Despite a legal threat from the spy drama's main subject, the world premiere of Kari Skogland's "Fifty Dead Men Walking" at the Toronto International Film Festival will go ahead as planned, the film's British co-producers said Tuesday.
