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Filed under: Columns, 400 Screens, 400 Blows, Cinematical Indie

A few weeks ago a DVD of Laurent Cantet’s 2000 film Human Resources arrived on my doorstep. I hadn’t seen it, but it rung a bell for me, and it took me a little while to remember: the Shooting Gallery series! I couldn’t believe I had forgotten about it. It was a huge event in less-than-400-screen lore, successful as well as artistically daring. I poked around and discovered that this brave little distributor had — of course — gone out of business. In 2000 and 2001, the Shooting Gallery lined up three series of six movies each, releasing each one for a two-week period, usually on a specific movie screen in selected cities, and then replaced it with the next in the series. If something took off and became a hit, it could play longer. I didn’t see all the films, but [...]

Original post by Jeffrey M. Anderson

Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Stars in Rewind

I know that Ben Foster is a really talented actor and I’m quite sure that he will go really, really far in his career. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he becomes a Robert Redford type — hugely popular and long-lasting. But still … whether he’s got wings as a mutant, or helps some creepy vampires attack a small Alaskan town, to me he’s always the cute, goofy kid from Disney’s Flash Forward.
Although the show was after my time, I would always stop to watch it when flipping through the channels. It was tres cute and starred Foster as Tucker and Firefly’s Jewel Staite as Becca — two best friends and neighbors who have been close since birth and are now in middle school. Above you get to check out their nervous kiss and final moment of the show. Man, they were [...]

Original post by Monika Bartyzel

Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Thrillers, Warner Independent Pictures, Images
I have to hand it to the wardrobe people for Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant since it’s not easy making a guy who normally looks like this look like such a schlump. The Bad and Ugly have posted some behind-the-scenes photos for the comedic thriller, and even though there is nothing earth shattering going on, they are definitely a step up from the other pics floating around out there.
The Informant is based on the true-life novel by Kurt Eichenwald. The story revolves around Mark Whitacre (Damon), a rising star at the agriculture conglomerate, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). At the urging of his wife (who had threatened to go to the FBI), Whitacre spilled the beans to an agent that he had been involved in a price-fixing scam with other major corporations over the food additive, lysine. As if that wasn’t enough of a [...]

Original post by Jessica Barnes

Filed under: Drama, Independent, Casting, Deals, Scripts, Cinematical Indie

I don’t think it will be quite like the clip above, but we’re about to get a new serving of William Tell. Variety reports that producers Fred Caruso and D. Constantine Conte are bringing Tell’s story to the big screen in The Adventures of William Tell. Stunt coordinator and second AD Ian Quinn is going to make his directorial debut with the $60 million production, which was adapted from Friedrich von Schiller’s play by Cornelius Schregle.
But here’s the kicker, aside from probably hearing that super-speedy overture in a non-Lone Ranger setting — it will star Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter, Kiera Chaplin. She will play Tell’s wife in the film, although there’s no word on who will play Tell himself. Now, we all know the music, but do you know the story? It’s about the 14th century legend of a man who was forced [...]

Original post by Monika Bartyzel

Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Independent, Casting, Cinematical Indie
You know, they say that you shouldn’t go into business with family and friends. Yet many people still do, and many people also begin to take the advice to heart sooner or later. But what about people you meet in a support group? That sounds totally rational, doesn’t it? Let’s take it a bit further — imagine you go into business with strangers you know all have anger issues. It sounds like hell in real life, but may make for a funny film on the big screen.
Variety reports that Heather Graham, Jennifer Coolidge, Matthew Settle (the cool art dad from Gossip Girl), and Amber Heard have signed on to star in a new black dramedy called Ex-terminators, which was written by Suzanne Weinert, and will be the feature directorial debut for Scrubs helmer John Inwood. So yes, this film will focus on “three [...]

Original post by Monika Bartyzel

Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Tech Stuff, Politics
With every passing story I read about border control or security insanity, I’m beginning to think that once you have any responsibility for your country’s safety, you go insane. Everyday objects become suspect (like a friend harassed in the US for having a couple pictures of an ex amongst the pics he was traveling with), and sometimes, objects are given extraordinary value. I was once charged a couple hundred dollars in Canadian tariffs for a Buffy DVD that was sent to me as a gift, and had to prove that the box set wasn’t worth their astronomical estimated cost. But I guess I can consider myself lucky that “Buffy” didn’t make the border powers that be think the discs were porn.
Canoe reports that a new Canadian film from John N. Smith (Dangerous Minds) was held at the border because of its name: Love [...]

Original post by Monika Bartyzel

Filed under: Comedy, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing, Trailers and Clips

Just when I thought the day would end without a single bit of funny … The Promotion trailer has finally arrived! You’ve probably heard us talk about this movie a good gazillion times already, but if you haven’t, listen up: It’s really good and stuff. Yes, a bunch of us here at Cinematical saw The Promotion when it premiered at SXSW in March and we absolutely fell in love with its characters, its story, its performances and its charm.
Written and directed by Steve Conrad (writer of The Pursuit of Happyness), The Promotion stars Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly as two guys who REALLY want to land the new managerial job at the supermarket across town. In fact, both will go to great lengths to get that job — and, while the premise sounds sort of played, silly and [...]

Original post by Erik Davis

Filed under: Comedy, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing, Trailers and Clips

Just when I thought the day would end without a single bit of funny … The Promotion trailer has finally arrived! You’ve probably heard us talk about this movie a good gazillion times already, but if you haven’t, listen up: It’s really good and stuff. Yes, a bunch of us here at Cinematical saw The Promotion when it premiered at SXSW in March and we absolutely fell in love with its characters, its story, its performances and its charm.
Written and directed by Steve Conrad (writer of The Pursuit of Happyness), The Promotion stars Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly as two guys who REALLY want to land the new managerial job at the supermarket across town. In fact, both will go to great lengths to get that job — and, while the premise sounds sort of played, silly and [...]

Original post by Erik Davis

Filed under: Deals, Paramount, Fandom, Scripts
David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos – you know, the greatest television show of all time — has signed on to write, produce, and direct his first feature film, for Paramount Pictures. Calm down, fans of Tony and the gang — this will not be a Sopranos flick. In fact, Deadline Hollywood Daily doesn’t have much about the movie at all, other than that it’s “an original drama,” and that Brad Grey, Chase’s Sopranos producing partner and CEO of Paramount, brought him on board. Chase says of their relationship: “Brad has always been adventurous as a producer and looked for different ways of doing things. I look forward to once again working with him, and now his team. For years, Brad has been a great partner, who helped enable me to do what I need to creatively.”
Returning the love, Grey says “David is [...]

Original post by Patrick Walsh

Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
There’s all sorts of madness going on at Marvel right now in the wake of Iron Man’s ridiculous opening weekend. Marvel’s Kevin Feige was promoted to God and now it’s time to start looking toward the future. While we await the release of Marvel’s second self-financed flick (The Incredible Hulk) later this summer, The Hollywood Reporter tells us Matthew Vaughn is no longer directing Thor (currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 4, 2010, not July 4 as previously reported — unless HR made a typo). According to HR, Vaughn’s holding deal expired. In the meantime, Marvel is waiting for a script polish from writer Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend).
On what we should expect from Thor, Feige says, “It’s very much a Marvel superhero story but against the backdrop of nothing you’ve seen before. ” [...]

Original post by Erik Davis