Woody Harrelson is the second “human” who has agreed to join War for The Planet of The Apes. The actor, who will play Lyndon Johnson first in an upcoming biopic, directed by Rob Reiner.
The only details surrounding the addition of Woody Harrelson, according to the report at Deadline, is that he will play a villain in the film. He joins Gabriel Chavarria as the only other human lead confirmed for the film. Certainly, Andy Serkis will return for the motion capture of Caesar, the leader of the ape resistance.
Matt Reeves is also returning to complete what will (hopefully) only be a new trilogy. The new Planet of the Apes saga has been a welcome surprise in the realm of reboots, remakes, prequels, et al. Dawn of The Planet of The Apes was a masterful summer thriller, and I expect War for The Planet of The Apes to be the same, if not more.
Adding Woody Harrelson definitely piques my interest even further.
Disney’s latest live-action version of one of their classic cartoons, The Jungle Book, has a new teaser trailer. The teaser shows off a cavalcade of CGI creatures, and what looks to be some grand adventure.
Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of selfdiscovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.
Jon Favreau can be an interesting director, and this looks like a perfect adventure for the kiddos. Not to mention that voice casting looks superb. The Jungle Book hits theaters April 15, 2016.
“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” – Henry Hill
Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece amid an oeuvre of career masterpieces, turns 25-years old this month. Forget those Oscars, everyone knows they got it wrong. Oscar knows, trust me. Despite Dances with Wolves dominating that fateful night, here is one of those rarities, perhaps the rarest of all cinematic experiences: the perfect film.
There are obvious reasons why Scorsese’s white-hot gangster odyssey is considered his best movie, and one of the best of all films. First and foremost, it is the work of America’s greatest filmmaker. It’s his serene musical structure throughout. It’s his collaboration with former muse Robert De Niro. It’s the entire cast, from De Niro, to the fresh-faced Ray Liotta, to Joe Pesci’s powder-keg performance, to supporting turns from Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino, to the delightfully textured turns from a myriad of impactful character actors filling the periphery with percolating kinetics.
These crucial elements set up Goodfellas for greatness, but there are six more specific reasons why it is, in fact, a perfect film. Yes, perfect. Such a hyperbolic description must be used lightly, if at all; yet here it’s absolutely a fit. There are more than six reasons why Goodfellas is perfect; the aforementioned list of on-screen talent involved would stretch beyond six alone. But at a base level – and more importantly a personal level – with moments the casual viewer may not notice, these decisions were made and said elements carefully deposited throughout the fabric of the film to cultivate an undeniable tour de force.
1. That Opening
Every great film has an unforgettable opening scene. It’s arguably the most crucial element, catching the attention of the audience and setting tone. And that opening scene of Goodfellas… that’s a mainline injection of brutality and foreboding, building slowly from confusion and quiet calm, stirring us away from the safety of our seats, delivering a moment of shocking violence. It sets the stage, and from there the audience firmly understands the violent culture in which they will be immersed the next two hours. Truly a visceral introduction.
https://youtu.be/LRw3nudL1Fw
2. Schoonmaker’s Editing Room
Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker have a lifelong working relationship with one another. Schoonmaker’s ability to inject energy into Scorsese’s greatest films are as vital to the overall product as just about anything else, responsible for more iconic moments than any other cinematic body of work. And in Goodfellas, her editing prowess is on full display. It is an all-encompassing edit, working from beginning to end. The early scenes, when Henry’s voiceover romanticizes the world-dominating culture of the criminal underworld in his neighborhood, are put together with longer, more languid scenes. The audience relishes the romantic side of being a gangster, the freedom of a life without rules. A glorious time for the mob is shown through a patient, softer, more endearing lens.
As the narrative continues, however, and things begin to fall apart in Henry’s life, the edits grow more frenetic. Cuts come much faster, scenes feel jumpy and immediate and threatening. This leads us to the final act of the film where Henry, deep in the throes of a paranoia-fueled cocaine addiction, is racing around town trying to cut his new shipment, make dinner for the family, and skirt what he believes is a police chopper on his tail. Here, Schoonmaker’s edits deliver the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to those early, cheerful scenes. The cuts are frantic, rapid, mirroring Henry’s fractured brain. These are subtle strokes executed in Schoonmaker’s editing room, creating an undeniably perfect rhythm, an operatic unraveling of what was once sanguine.
3. Calculated Glorification
A common complaint from the buttoned-up vocal majority in America when it comes to films like Goodfellas almost always focuses on the glorification of a culture of violence, and the adulation of the gangster lifestyle. Prudes say it sends the wrong message to kids, it leads them into a life of crime. This is a lazy and wholly unfounded opinion, especially here. It ignores the whole in order to criticize the parts. Goodfellas absolutely must glorify the life of the mobster. The glitz and the glamour are vital when it comes to world building.
Without these early moments of hedonism, we would be lost in a world of despicable characters, with no explanation as to why Henry Hill was drawn to this sad and dangerous life. These good things must exist in order come to an end in a desperate and violent collapse.
4. The Pesci Decision
The real Tommy DeSimone (DeVito in the film) was a large, hulking menace, described as such in Nicolas Pileggi’s source material, Wiseguy. He was, however, the same raving psycopath portrayed in the film. The choice to cast Joe Pesci was a bold stroke by Scorsese and Co., and it turned out to be a sublime decision. The slight frame of Pesci juxtaposed the sociopathic temper boiling just beneath his surface. It made him all the more threatening, unpredictable, and frightening.
Consider a large lump of a man in the role, especially in the above scene; it wouldn’t work with a baritone voice. You could see the violent outbursts coming a mile away, and they would lose a certain impact. But with Pesci, who seems innocuous enough on the exterior, his brutality comes as veiled poison.
5. The Dinner Scene
In the midst of killing Billy “Shinebox” Batts (Frank Vincent), a made guy, in the middle of a diner – therein sealing their fate – wrapping his body in tablecloths and carrying him to a desolate wooded area to bury the body, Tommy, Jimmy, and Henry stop off at Tommy’s mother’s house to grab some tools. Then, wouldn’t you know it, Tommy’s loving mother surprises them and decides to fix them a full-course meal in the middle of the night. The whole time, Batts’ dying body is fighting for life in trunk of the car outside.
https://youtu.be/3eVqdnDk02Y
What a marvelous scene, a moment stripped clean of malice of malevolence, directly in the middle of the most crucial (and violent) turning point of the entire film. Tommy’s mother (played by Scorsese’s own mother, Catherine) is a sweet, doting mother, asking him why he isn’t married with children. She has no idea of the monster inside her son. This sequence works to bring the frenzy back into focus, it allows us to catch our breath, and calm an otherwise crumbling set of circumstances for our three leads. Scorsese and Schoonmaker take their time, perhaps for the last time in the entire film, and the result creates an eye of the storm.
It also adds something lacking in Tommy’s character to that point: humanity. Tommy has a mother? Who would have thought such a thing.
6. Tracking Shot Nirvana
The tracking shot into the bowels of the Copacabana is a virtuoso, seminal moment in film history. Not only does it work on unspeakable technical levels, it serves a purpose in the narrative. Karen is swept up by Henry, this young “construction worker” with the smooth hands, silver tongue, and cash falling out of his pockets. The backroom trek through the Copa gives us the feeling Karen is being swept along, dizzyingly, in an unavoidable world of glamour.
The Copacabana shot is legend, but another tracking shot deserves attention. It’s a much more utilitarian sequence, introducing the peripheral hoods in Henry’s world. Plenty of fun to be had here watching Scorsese show off a little:
As Goodfellas turns 25, it has not lost a step. Nor will it ever. Here is a two-hour adrenaline shot of violence, exhilaration, and seamless energy, standing head and shoulders above others of its kind. Perfection.
What else do you think belongs on this list? What makes it perfect in your eyes?
The new trailer for Hardcore shows us what could be one of two things: a game-changing action spectacle, or a nauseating video-game ripoff. The ultra-violent sci-fi action flick is told entirely from the first-person point of view of its protagonist. If anything, it looks like a non-stop thrill ride.
HARDCORE is a modern, action Sci-Fi story about HENRY, a newly resurrected cyborg who must save his wife/creator ESTELLE (Haley Bennet) from the clutches of a psychotic tyrant with telekinetic powers, AKAN (Danila Kozlovsky), and his army of mercenaries. Fighting alongside Henry is JIMMY (Sharlto Copley), who is Henry’s only hope to make it through the day. Hardcore takes place over the course of one day, in Moscow, Russia and it’s all shot in the same style as writer-director Ilya Naishuller’s mega popular short film “BAD MOTHERF–KER.”
While it looks cool, Hardcore could certainly be difficult to stomach for 90 or so minutes. What do you think?
Walking into the theater this past week, it was Admiral Ackbar’s voice ringing inside my head … “It’s a Trap!” I immediately said to myself, “Look, this may not be my cup of tea, but that’s not what this job is all about.” As time ticked closer and closer to the start of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, it became quite evident that this film was not going bring the typical throng of critics to review it. Ackbar’s tocsin rang again.
The lack of buzz at this screening was utterly surprising to me as the original Maze Runner was well reviewed and well received when it was released. Maze Runner, in its opening weekend, brought in $32.5 million during it’s opening weekend, an amazing success given the film’s budget of $34 million. The picture ended up with a total domestic box-office of $102 million. That may seem like 20th Century Fox made quite a great deal of profit on that film, but remember that a lot of those totals domestically are frontloaded. So, with all of these bits of information rattling in my brain, I still was struggling to figure out why they would go through with a sequel to Maze Runner. Then the number 238 popped into the discussion, as in $238 million in ticket sales for Maze Runner internationally. You add all that up and Maze Runner made a mind blowing $348 million dollars total. That’s enough money that even if the 2nd and 3rd movies just tanked at the box-office, 20th Century Fox would still turn a profit on the whole franchise. So once this became evident, it at least made clear why I was sitting in the theater trudging through yet another sequel to a popular YA novel.
As wonderful as the original Maze Runner was, it’s a painful revelation when you realize in the first ten minutes of the film that Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is an unoriginal, conventional adaptation of the second book. Thomas (Dylan O’brien) and his fellow suriviors have been rescued from the maze with promises of a new life once matters run their course. Thomas quickly finds out that there is no new life for any of them and they quickly dash out into the post-apocalyptic “Scorch.” The rest of the film has Thomas running from one apocalyptic scenario to another one while trying to stay away from zomb…..errrrrrrr I mean “Cranks” that roam the land. Of course, Thomas has his friends on this quest trying to find this rumored resistance, the one group of people that can help rectify all their issues ( I know … I know .. we’ve never heard that plot device before). It all comes to head to during an all too familiar final battle sequence that leads to highly predictable set up to the final film.
This movie is a robust 131 minutes and it feels like its 431 minutes .The character interaction you do see is primarily during action sequences. As for any stunning revelations, all we really get is confirmation of what we already knew in the first film. Patricia Clarkson plays the standard icy blonde female authoritarian figure, which seems to be now standard in all of these films.
Wes Ball should receive kudos for the production elements in his second installment of the Maze Runner trilogy. This movie has a big budget look about it and, as we all well know, first impressions are everything. The imagery in some of the scenes are, for a lack of better term, quite terrifying, which aids in projecting the sheer hopelessness that life on the scorch apparently is. The problem with this film lies solely in the script. As we go through this adventure with Thomas and his crew, we find that these plot advancements truly don’t add up to much at all. It’s as if they were sitting in the writing room crafting this script and they were like “Whatever .. let’s just work on that during the third film.” A franchise that seemed destined to be a unique trilogy has become nothing more than Divergent meets a maze.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials can be summed up in one word: placeholder. 20th Century Fox is essentially telling the audience “Hey … guys … just bare with us and it will all make sense in the third movie.” As someone who reviews films, I’m getting sick and tired of movie companies producing these cookie-cutter placeholder films. We as the consumers should demand better quality films from companies like 20th Century Fox. I get that you want to stay true to the original source material, but that doesn’t give you a right to make films that are a waste of space. Essentially, 20th Century Fox wants to trap you into seeing the second film with promises that they will make it worth your while in the third.
In some of the coolest news in a while, it seems Darren Aronofsky’s next project will be an Evel Knievel biopic starring Channing Tatum. Say no more, show me no previews, just let me know when I can set my eyes upon this.
The tracking-board broke the news this evening. Aronofsky has agreed to helm the biopic, working from a script by Magic Mike writer Reid Carolin. Although the screenplay has received a heavy re-write from Scott Silver.
Darren Aronofsky, who broke on the scene with the Sundance hit Pi, changed the way I look at films and filmmaking with his 2000 gut punch, Requiem for a Dream. For my money, Black Swan was the best film of 2009, The Wrestler was an interesting character study, and Noah was better than some would have you believe. And don’t even get me started on The Fountain; take your hatred elsewhere.
It may seem like an unusual choice for Aronofsky to take on the story of Robert Craig “Evel” Knieval, America’s most famous stuntman. But the director’s tastes are more diverse than some would believe. Tearing up with Channing Tatum should make for a compelling drama, hopefully with a little fun on the side.
The new full-length Creed trailer is disappointing. If you ask me. A few weeks back, we were given a captivatingly minimalistic and sharp look at the upcoming Rocky franchise spinoff, plenty to whet my appetite until I saw the actual film. It looked lean and mean, a solid second teaming between its star, Michael B. Jordan, and Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler.
Then here is the second Creed trailer, and on display is just about every twist and turn that is likely to come up in the film. It shows too much, just like pretty much every studio trailer, and in this case it waters down what seemed promising in the initial teaser.
Here is the full-length trailer, but if you don’t want to see basically the entire film in a three-minute condensed version, skip it:
There are things I do like here, including the old footage of Carl Weathers in the ring and the texture of the cinematography. The health issues of Rocky would be a nice thing to have kept secret, as would the fate of Paulie. Alas, we get it all.
I’m sure I will still see Creed when it hits theaters November 25. I only wish I hadn’t seen this unnecessary trailer ahead of time.
Rob Marshall, director of Chicago and Into the Woods, is developing a new Disney musical featuring Mary Poppins with his life partner and producer John DeLuca and Marc Platt.
Platt has produced various films, from Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World to Ryan Gosling’s Lost River, and musicals like the aforementioned Into the Woods – which gave Meryl Streep an Oscar nomination – Nine (also produced by DeLuca) and the upcoming La La Land, starring Emma Stone, J.K. Simmons and Ryan Gosling.
Entertainment Weekly has learned some details about the new film, including the composers of its original music, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, both responsible for the Hairspray and Smash soundtracks, along with writer David Magee, who holds several major award nominations for his work in Finding Neverland and Life of Pi.
The original Mary Poppins was based on the first book in a series of eight from author P. L. Travers, who was recently portrayed by Emma Thompson in the acclaimed Saving Mr. Banks. According to EW:
The new Poppins film will take place in Depression-era London, some 20 years after Disney’s classic Mary Poppins, and will draw from existing Poppins tales in the rest of author P.L. Travers’ 1934-1988 children’s book series… The new project (which is decidedly not being developed as a sequel) will explore Mary’s further adventures with the Banks family and beyond as illustrated by Travers’ seven additional novels.
It’s been over fifty years since Julie Andrews played Mary Poppins in the big screen, when she was only 29. This time we’ll face an older Poppins, but probably not Andrews.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is heading to the small screen, taking over Donald Trump’s role on Celebrity Apprentice.
Today, NBC announced that the former Governator would take over as the host of the reality series, after the network decided to sever ties with the outlandish Presidential candidate. NBC released an extensive, lengthy press release regarding the new hire:
Twice-elected California governor and international movie superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named new host of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” which will return to the network for the 2016-17 season.
Schwarzenegger served two terms as governor of California, managing more than 300,000 state employees and a state budget in the hundreds of billions. He has successfully invested in both real estate and sports franchises, and is known to millions globally for his starring role in the “Terminator” film franchise. His films, over a six-decade career, have grossed billions of dollars in worldwide box office.
The former governor will replace Donald Trump who, in his role as host of the seven seasons of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” helped raise more than $15 million for charity.
“We are thrilled to be opening a powerful new chapter in the story of the ‘Apprentice’ franchise,” said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business, and his accomplishments in the political arena speak for themselves. It was Arnold’s personal passion for the format that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump built over the last decade, as well as his fresh take on how to take it to new heights for today’s audiences, that made him the man to hire. ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ … will be back!”
“The Apprentice” franchise is one of the most successful reality formats in television history. In “The Celebrity Apprentice,” business-savvy celebrity contestants work in teams and are asked to perform various tasks and win challenges, all the while employing a business model that promotes teamwork and, hopefully, ends with a financially successful outcome – all for a worthy charity. Contestants are subjected to long hours, grueling deadlines, intellectual challenges, personality clashes and intense scrutiny. Each task will end in the boardroom, where contestants must account for their actions or risk being “fired” by the host until one remains.
“After leaving the show to run for political office, Donald made it clear that he wanted ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ to be able to continue to raise millions of dollars annually for worthy causes, and now NBC and I have found an amazing new leader to do just that,” said executive producer Mark Burnett. “Gov. Schwarzenegger will use his vast and highly successful business, political and media experience to drive this hit franchise to new heights.”
Previous “Celebrity Apprentice” winners include Joan Rivers, Piers Morgan, Bret Michaels, Trace Adkins, Arsenio Hall, John Rich and Leeza Gibbons.
Always politically active, Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy for governor of California on Aug. 6, 2003 on the “The TonightShow with Jay Leno.” Two months later he was elected governor in a recall of Gov. Gray Davis and was then re-elected for a second time in 2006.
As governor, Schwarzenegger worked with leaders of both major political parties to address the greatest challenges facing the state. His leadership put California at the forefront of the nation in addressing climate change, pushing for the development of renewable energies, rebuilding critical infrastructure, investing in stem cell research and putting in place health care and political reforms.
Since leaving office in 2011, he has continued to promote state and local clean energy efforts by founding the non-profit R20: Regions of Climate Action. Additionally in 2013, he established the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, devoted to seeking bipartisan solutions to environmental, economic and other public policy issues. He serves as chair of the think-tank’s board and also holds a public policy professorship at the school.
Schwarzenegger was appointed by President George H. W. Bush as Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1990-93, and also served as the Chairman for the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Gov. Pete Wilson. As an advocate for children, Governor Schwarzenegger championed the After School Education and Safety Act of 2002 (Proposition 49), which was overwhelmingly approved by voters. He authored and chaired the initiative, which is designed to make state grants available to every public middle school in California for quality after-school programs.
Schwarzenegger moved to the United States from Austria at 21 years old and was best known at the time for his bodybuilding career. He would eventually become the youngest Mr. Universe and a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner. By the age of 30, Schwarzenegger was a millionaire, well before his career in Hollywood. His financial independence came from his success as a budding entrepreneur with a series of successful business ventures and investments.
With an eye on acting, Schwarzenegger won a Golden Globe Award for the 1976 film “Stay Hungry” but would make his Hollywood breakthrough with the 1982 hit “Conan the Barbarian.” Over the next six years, he would cement his role as a huge box office star in several films, including “The Terminator,” “Twins,” “Predator” and “Kindergarten Cop.”
“The Terminator” would quickly become his best known film franchise and its popularity continues today. Most recently, Schwarzenegger starred in “Terminator Genisys,” which opened July 1 and has earned nearly $450 million globally.
“The Celebrity Apprentice” is produced by United Artists Media Group. Mark Burnett, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Page Feldman and Eric Van Wagenen are executive producers.
Schwarzenegger is represented by Creative Artists Agency and attorneys Patrick Knapp and Jacob Bloom of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal.
I don’t know about you, but I think it will be a lot of fun to see Schwarzenegger take on a TV hosting role.
Over the last couple of weeks, fans of the X-Men franchise have been treated to exclusive images and instagram videos of some of the various stars in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. However, the one thing that we all have been clamoring for is the actual trailer for this high anticipated picture. Well, in the midst of doing research I stumbled upon this gem. Is this really the X-Men: Apocalypse trailer? It sure looks like it to us. Check it out!
