I've said before that a new film from Woody Allen is something like getting a Christmas gift from your eccentric aunt; you never know if you'll get a crocheted toilet paper cozy, or a piece of priceless heirloom jewelry. Fortunately, Allen's newest film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, turns out to be more like the latter. The story opens with Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two best friends heading to Barcelona for eight weeks of fun.
Vicky's distant relations Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and Mark (Kevin Dunn) live in Barcelona, and have invited the girls to spend the summer there, where Vicky will do research for her Masters and Cristina will soak up the local culture. Vicky is engaged to be married to Doug (Chris Messina), a stalwart, likable, but rather boring young man, and Cristina is recovering from her latest breakup and looking for an artistic outlet for her pent-up creativity.
I first heard about this film from my friend Aaron, who, honestly, hasn't stopped talking about it for over a year. He caught a screening of it at last year's Tribeca Film Festival, and absolutely fell in love. Another friend of mine was at the same screening and he loved it. Lots of people are loving it. I'm dying to love it. Will you love it, too? Moviefone has debuted the trailer for In Search of a Midnight Kiss (watch above or over on Moviefone), directed by Alex Holdridge. The film, which was shot guerrilla-style in Los Angeles after something like a two-week prep period, tells of a man who's just suffered through one of the most miserable years of his life. When his friend convinces him to post a personal ad on Craigslist (in order to avoid being alone on New Year's Eve), a girl searching for the perfect midnight kiss answers. Thus begins an eventful night that neither one will ever forget.
I'm really diggin' this trailer; definitely one of my favorites of the year so far. Well edited, well scored -- looks like my cup of Friday spiked tea. You?In Search of a Midnight Kiss hits theaters on August 1.
Winstead will play Ramona Victoria Flowers, Pilgrim's dream girl. She's the one with those seven evil boyfriends, all of whom Pilgrim must defeat if he is to win her heart. Her past is shrouded in mystery, as might be expected when you have seven evil boyfriends.
Now, being a girl, I'm no expert on dream girlfriends. The guys I know said it was impossible to cast Ramona, as no actress could possibly match the perfection they had all imagined her as. So, what do you think? Is Winstead the right choice? Does she embody the sexiness that is Ramona? Or is this one of those things you will tell me is all about personality and acting chops rather than looks? Which I will believe, don't worry -- I know you guys aren't that shallow.
There hasn't been much buzz on this flick after Cera's and Edgar Wright jumped onboard, and so hopefully it will pick up with the two leads out of the way. As Wright is clearly casting lesser known actors (at least with on the female end), it's difficult to offer up a choice for the secondary roles -- but hey, do it anyway. I am ashamed to admit that I'm still way too behind on Scott Pilgrim to offer up my own.
Philip (Anders Danielsen Lie) and Erik (Espen Klouman-Hoiner) are best friends. They're both aspiring novelists. And at the beginning of Reprise, they both stand, hesitant, on the street in front of a mailbox, and put their manuscripts in. And the camera follows their hopes and aspirations into the darkness, and the film rockets forward, a narrator detailing the reception of their novels and what that does to their lives, who finds acclaim and who does not, the setbacks and triumphs of each of their careers, with jump cuts and film clips and rambling elaborations and bizarre left-field concepts and rapid-fire narration piled one atop the other. And then we're back in the here-and-now, as Phillip and Erik stand in front of the postal box, looking slightly abashed, wondering what exactly it is they're supposed to do next. Maybe what we saw was a dream, or a lie; we're going to have to wait and see what happens next, just like they have to.
Directed by Joachim Trier, Reprise is one of the most brilliant, heartfelt, exciting and exuberant feature film debuts in recent memory, and works not just as a demonstration of Trier's substantial talents but also as a superbly-made collaboration. Trier co-wrote alongside Eskil Vogt, and the film's ensemble (including Lie, Klouman-Hoiner and Viktoria Winge as Phillip's gamine girlfriend Kari) is also superb, down to seemingly-minute supporting roles that are nonetheless perfectly cast, like Eindreide Eisvold's all-seeing but hardly certain dry tone as the narrator.
It looked like Nia Vardalos' career was over after the crappy, buzz-sucking television adaptation that was My Big Fat Greek Life. Then, a whole slew of years later, we hear that she's coming back with My Life in Ruins. The film hasn't even had its world premiere in Greece yet (it screens on May 22), and she's got another one on the way. At least this time, she's not following a film up with a crappy TV show. (Man, it was such a disappointing adaptation...) To make it even more appealing, she's also going back to her big hit roots.
Variety reports that Vardalos is once again getting sexy with her My Big Fat Greek Wedding co-star John Corbett for the upcoming romcom I Hate Valentine's Day. The project, which was written by the actress and will mark her directorial debut, is being called "a comedy for the romantically challenged." It focuses on "a romantic, carefree florist who charms a commitment-phobic restaurant owner into trying her theory of 'relationship-less' dating."
Ideally, I'd like to see that remain a "relationship-less" scenario, just to be something different, but I'm sure one or both of them will succumb to the throes of passion and fall in lurve. It is a flick for Valentine's Day after all.
But I ask you: Can this live up to their first pairing?
If I had one wish and one wish only, I think I'd like to be Javier Bardem throughout the duration of filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the latest film from writer-director Woody Allen. A new trailer for the flick has just debuted over at Moviefone, and while it's kinda hard to make out what's going on in the movie (there's no dialogue; just music), this definitely looks steamy, romantic, dramatic and, ahem, hot. Starring Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz and Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelonamarks Allen's first film shot in Spain and it revolves around a painter (Bardem) who winds up "involved" with two American tourists (Johansson and Hall). Cruz plays Bardem's jealous ex-girlfriend, and if the final shot of the trailer is any indication, she definitely takes her jealousy to the next level.
Based on early buzz, there's apparently a sexy threesome scene between Bardem, Johansson and Cruz in the film, as well as a little back-and-forth kissing between Johansson and Cruz (which is teased in the preview). Needless to say, the 2008 Festival de Cannes is the perfect place to premiere such a film -- and our own James Rocchi and Kim Voynar are currently on the ground in France, itching to bring you tons of coverage later this week (including a review of this seductive-looking film).
Check out the trailer above (or over on Moviefone) and let us know what you think below. Vicky Cristina Barcelona arrives in theaters on August 29.
What's with this new obsession with love and taxi cabs? The other day, I was flipping through the channels and stopped on some really bad show about dating. At one point, they start talking about some cabbie in New York who fixes up people in his cab. He's nice, and chats up his patrons, and then some of them leave him cell phone numbers so he can contact them with love matches. An interesting idea -- although it's far from the safest method out there.
But this isn't the only cabbie romance on the airwaves. The Hollywood Reporter posts that DreamWorks has picked up a rom-com spec called Shared Fare from Stacey Harman (Jingle Belles). Instead of a cupid cabbie, "the idea is based on a true experience had by Benderspink executive Langley Perer, who ended up dating a guy she split a cab with on a short trip."
As for what kind of rom-com this will be, the director circling the project should give you an indication: Brian Robbins. Does this mean Eddie Murphy will sign on, since he's starring (and has starred) in Robbins' three most recent films? Or better yet, will marketing teams descend upon cabbies and make them all budding cupids before the film's release? Or start cheap female cab fares in a sort of Ladies' Night-on-wheels marketing scheme?
Alas, like always, I see "Sasha Alexander" and immediately mix her up with Sasha Jenson, the sex fiend from Dazed and Confused. For some reason, I do this every time I see her name. But since it isn't Jenson, let's get back on track. Sasha Alexander, who you might remember from Wasteland or her stint as Gretchen Witter on Dawson's Creek, has picked up an indie gig for herself. Variety reports that she's got a role in Tenure, which stars Luke Wilson and Gretchen Mol as two professors who, well, compete for tenure. But she's also got roles in He's Just Not That Into You and Yes Man, so we should be seeing more of her in the near future.
Meanwhile, Variety reports that Rob Kerkovich, who got to play one of the many partygoers in Cloverfield, is getting a more prominent gig, and one that shouldn't be putting him in monster's way. He's landed a role in Bart Freundlich's The Rebound, which stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha. (This is that May/December romance flick.) Kerkovich will play a stoner co-worker of Bartha's character. Ah, that sounds like just the sort of company a single mom would want to keep with her new younger boyfriend.
With the end of this month comes final confirmation: Can Sex and the City make it as a feature film? To continue to whet our Sex appetites, a whole slew of clips popped up over on the net. Above you can check out the, erm, fleshed out waxing clip from the trailer, and after the jump there's a wedding announcement, that Cinderella clip, some "coloring," home shopping, and Carrie getting a little bit too "pat on the head," "I've been there" preachy with Jennifer Hudson.
As someone who enjoyed the show (whilst ignoring the idiotic fashions and some of the crappy men), this is looking to be the sort of film that will appeal to fans ... although it will be a little different than its skin-risque HBO roots. A few years passed and now it seems that we won't be getting the usual fleshy shocker from Samantha -- rumor has it that the only woman who celebrates full-flesh is Cynthia Nixon. It's too bad that age seems to be making the women cling to the clothing, but then again, that's SatC for you -- partially stereotype-breaking and partially stereotype-clutching.
Before we Bronte devotees could really whine and cry about the casting (there's still Ellen Page in Jane Eyre for that), it ceases to be. According to Variety, Natalie Portman has dropped out of the upcoming Wuthering Heights, leaving the film rather lost without a Cathy Earnshaw. According to Portman's publicist, the actress had a scheduling conflict with another project, which has not yet been announced.
So now, Ecross executives and director John Maybury are on the hunt for a new Cathy. As of yet, there are no contenders to the role, so now is our chance! Speak up, Cinematical readers, and let us flood the Internet with suggestions. Personally, I want to go back in time and import teenage Kate Winslet, Helena Bonham Carter, Kate Beckinsale or Lena Headey. As I cannot, I'm at a bit of a loss. Keira Knightley merits exclusion because of having played Elizabeth Bennett, and I think there's a rule that you can only play one standard of English Literature. I'm being rather stuffy in looking only to the UK, but nothing could ruin this movie faster than a wonky accent.
Interestingly, we finally have a name for Heathcliff. According to the Variety article, Michael Fassbender is in advanced talks to play the famous heinous, yet oh-so-sexy hero. I have only seen him as Stelios in 300, but he's getting good buzz for Hunger. Count me in the "intrigued, and not opposed" category, I guess, until further notice. His casting will mean my sister will be first in line for a ticket, that's for sure.
We can still whine and cry about the casting, though. It is our right as Internet film geeks, and ones with Gothic tastes. Oh heck, let's just gush about the book! We'll have our own Bronte Day here.
Kidding? Yes, that's right, as in kids, young 'uns, rug rats. This week on Trailer Park, we're scoping out previews of movies that are for or about the kiddies. The Rocker Kid is a relative term, but the teens populating this comedy are kids from where I'm sitting. Probably best known for playing Dwight on NBC's The Office, Rainn Wilson stars as a washed up 80s rocker who was booted out of a succesful band right before they hit it big. Kind of like Pete Best but with spandex and big hair. His teenage nephew's band is playing at the prom and they need him to fill in. The gig goes well and Wilson's character ends up touring with the band. There's a definite hint of School of Rock, but Wilson is so appealing in the role that I've chosen to overlook that and the groin injury joke (a hokey device that is often a deal breaker for me). Here's what Erik thought of the trailer.
Here's where I get confused: If you knew a pair of people like the characters played by Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher in the new feature-length sitcom pilot What Happens in Vegas, you'd probably hate them. Undoubtedly, in real life, you'd want to punch / mock / immediately walk away from people so outrageously stupid, selfish, and insufferable. So here's my question: Why would you actually PAY for the experience of meeting two such woeful and worthless people? It's not like there's much upside for you...
Pre-packaged movie star detritus of the most inane order, What Happens in Vegas offers an I Love Lucy premise, an Odd Couple leading duo, and a Three's Company screenplay. (I mean, like, season five Three's Company, when you could spot the flaccid punch-lines the split-second the set-up is delivered.) It's not like I went in gunning for the flick, because I happen to think that A) Ashton Kutcher is a fairly funny guy, B) Cameron Diaz is still (often) a generally appealing movie star, and C) "high concept" comedy can sometimes make for one colorful and energetic night at the cinema -- but I've been to writing seminars that offer more humor, creativity, and cleverness than what's on display here. And trust me, writing seminars have none of those things.
I'm doing things a little different this week. Peter has covered this week's great releases in his column, noting flicks like Teeth and I'm Not There. For you Hilary Swank lovers, there's some post-death love after the jump, but below is a collection of film spoofs, rather than a plain ol' film.
After Fox canceled the Seth Green-starring Greg the Bunny, it seemed like that was the end of the show. But like some other Fox victims, that wasn't the end. There was a bit of a hiatus, and then IFC jumped on board and allowed Greg to get cinematic and merge television land with movie land. The result -- a whole bunch of puppet movie spoofs. Click here to get an idea of what you'd be in for. It's not every day that you get to see a puppet embodying Frank Booth.
This release includes spoofs of movies like Monster and American Movie, plus the 2005 reunion special that takes on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Rain Man, and more. As for guests, this batch includes Seth Green, Sarah Silverman, and Adam Goldberg.
Remember that ominous "loss" that Sarah Jessica Parker said Carrie would deal with in the new Sex and the City movie? Well, Michael Patrick King is now speaking out on the matter once rumors started to fly about just what kind of loss it was. If you don't want to know anything about this loss rumor, stop reading now!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, you won't have to worry about any big, or should I say Big demise. King says: "Kill Mr. Big? I would have been chased around the planet by women with torches." He goes on to say that the "ultimate target" of this film is to make women happy, so Big won't die because that wouldn't make them happy. But if this means then that the two break up again, since the trailer certainly seems to suggest it, talk about a tired flipping plot!
Does this mean, then, that there is no death? I don't think we really have a finite answer on that. When asked whether anyone dies: "It's a summer movie. Why would I want to kill anyone?" This could be a straightforward "no, this is a fun movie and death doesn't fit;" however, summer movies are all about wowing audiences and over-the-top fare, so someone else could still be on the chopping block.
We'll know soon enough -- the film opens on May 30.
I had a very strange weekend, especially since I'm so used to hanging around here, listening to all you folks rant and rave about Batman, Iron Man and Indiana Jones. The weekend was strange in that everyone I spoke to offline named Sex and the Cityas the film they're most looking forward to this summer. Yes, Sex and the City: The Movie! Apparently, Oprah also did a show where she let her entire audience watch SATC: The Movie, but turned it off with 20 minutes left. (I don't know about you, but if Oprah pulled that "you can't watch the ending" sh*t on me, I'd switch it over to Rachael Ray full time!)
So then I sashayed my way over to Moviefone's Summer Movies poll, which asked readers to decide on a summer film they were anticipating the most. Know what won? Yup, Sex and the City. Crazy, right? I knew this TV show had a massive fanbase, but I, personally, hadn't heard a peep out of anyone who was actually looking forward to the movie. Is it that your usual SATC fanbase doesn't hang out online, perusing through movie news sites? Maybe they're out shopping or, ya know, living actual lives ... instead of geeking out over a new Dark Knight image on Cinematical? (By all means, continue to geek out -- I'm just trying to make sense of this whole SATC thing.)
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What's with this new obsession with love and taxi cabs? The other day, I was flipping through the channels and stopped on some really bad show about dating. At one point, they start talking about some cabbie in New York who fixes up people in his cab. He's nice, and chats up his patrons, and then some of them leave him cell phone numbers so he can contact them with love matches. An interesting idea -- although it's far from the safest method out there.
Here's some Monday nibblets for you:
Before we Bronte devotees could really whine and cry about the casting (there's still 
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SCOOP: Spider-Man 4 and 5 Might be Shot at the Same Time!
Cinematical Seven: Disney's Awesome Live-Action Kid Adventures
