This week audiences are gearing up for Inglourious Basterds, another dark, funny, bloody, crazy film from Quentin Tarantino. He's had quite the career thus far, earning an enthusiastic following — as well as plenty of haters. I tend to like his films, and I have particular soft spots for Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Vol. 1. What is your favorite Tarantino-directed movie?
There are countless lists of the best movies of all time, but what about focusing on just this millennium? Over on IMDB, they're listing off "the Top Rated Films of the New Millennium, looking at the 15 films made since 2000 that our users have rated as the best of the new millennium." So, it's not a bunch of snooty critics making these decisions, the list is based on ratings from general IMDB readers.
I actually don't have too many major beefs with this list (though, admittedly, I haven't seen a couple of them, like City of God — yes, I know, I know), and there are some inclusions that delight me, like Spirited Away! What say you?
For those of you who said you're more interested in a scary movie when it's said to be based on true events, it's likely you'll find the trailer for The Fourth Kind rather eerie. Milla Jovovich stars in this thriller about alien abductions, allegedly based on real archival footage of interviews with abductees and people who have seen aliens in one Alaskan town. The description continues: "Using never-before-seen archival footage that is integrated into the film, The Fourth Kind exposes the terrified revelations of multiple witnesses. Their accounts of being visited by alien figures all share disturbingly identical details, the validity of which is investigated throughout the film."
When I first started watching the trailer, I thought it would be one of those things that tries so hard to be scary it ends up seeming silly. But by the end of the trailer, I have to admit, I was totally spooked. Take a look at the video and tell me what you think.
Universal has recently acquired the script for The Best Thing About Pam Rooney, a "high-concept romantic comedy" that will apparently star Jonah Hill in the lead role. No real details yet on plot, but this casting news alone got me thinking about Jonah Hill's career thus far. I've enjoyed him, for the most part, as a supporting character to many other funny lead actors, but I wonder if I'll enjoy sitting through an entire romantic comedy centered around his role. It may come down to what the relationship is like between his character and the other romantic lead, but I'm a little bit wary nonetheless.
What do you think of Jonah Hill as the main man in a rom-com?
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
I'll admit it: I forgot about this G.I. Joe movie. I didn't realize until today that it's coming out this Friday, Aug. 7. This doesn't necessarily bode well for the action film, but then again, it does have a strong fan base already and is garnering some positive reviews.
Here's a synopsis: "An elite military unit comprised of special operatives known as G.I. Joe, operating out of The Pit, takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer."
Are you excited to see this popcorn flick? Or, do you just not care?
One-sheet image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Rumor has it Scarlett Johansson is topping a list of actresses to potentially play Marilyn Monroe in the film My Week With Marilyn, directed by Simon Curtis. The movie will be "based on the diary of Colin Clark, an employee of Laurence Olivier, who looked after the blonde bombshell when she came to London to film Olivier's The Prince and the Showgirl in 1957." Here's more:
In the diary, Clark talks about showing Marilyn around Queen Elizabeth's private apartments at Windsor Castle and other "behind-the-scenes" trips. Clark published excerpts of his diary in 1958, but left the details of one week out. These chapters weren't released until he died in 2002, and will form the basis of the movie.
Other actresses reportedly considered for the role include Kate Hudson, Amy Adams, and Michelle Williams. Between those three and Johansson, I'd say Johansson comes closest in the looks department, but none of these ladies seems quite right for portraying the sexy icon. Who, if anyone, could you see playing Marilyn Monroe on the big screen?
In my poll last week, many of you expressed interest in seeing the Judd Apatow-directed Funny People in theaters. Next weekend the Meryl Streep-Amy Adams movie, Julie and Julia, about one woman's quest to try every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking opens in theaters as well. One focuses largely on two men (played by Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen) along with issues of mortality, comedy and male friendship, while the other is based on the lives of two women who, at the very least, shared a love of good food.
These are some of our only options these days for mainstream (and widely released) adult comedies-with-heart, so I ask you: Which are you more interested in seeing?
Funny People one-sheet courtesy of Universal Pictures, Julie and Julia one-sheet courtesy of Sony Pictures
The Burning Plain is described as "a drama with a two-tiered storyline concerning a mother (Kim Basinger) and daughter (Charlize Theron) who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood," and the new trailer for the Sept. 18 release certainly includes plenty of drama. Drama, drama, drama. There appear to be some criss-crossing love affairs and lots of mother-daughter angst.
On the one hand, the movie was written and directed by Babel's Guillermo Arriaga and there seems to be plenty of dark, slow-boiling tension throughout. Having said that, though, I had to remind myself to pay attention to the trailer, as I found my mind wandering.
How do you think The Burning Plain looks? Promising? Or not so much?
One-sheet courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
The news that Rachelle Lefevre will be replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria in the third Twilight movie, Eclipse, was followed today by a bit of a debate over what happened — and why. Lefevre claims she wanted to continue playing the role and expressed surprise and dismay at being recast. Meanwhile, Summit Entertainment has stated that Lefevre accepted another job that conflicted with the production schedule for Eclipse, so the filmmakers had to find someone else.
It's interesting to know that Lefevre would have gladly continued to play Victoria. Do you wish she could? Or will it probably not matter that someone else will be playing Victoria?
For Judd Apatow's third directorial feature film, Funny People, he has Seth Rogen starring as a fledgling comedian who looks up to the seasoned comedian/Hollywood actor, George Simmons (Adam Sandler). George learns that he has an untreatable blood disorder and that he has one year to live. He notices Ira's act one night and takes Ira under his wing — though it doesn't change the fact that George is a prickly, difficult guy. The movie explores the world of comedy and the quirky sort of mentor/mentee relationship that forms between a newbie performer and a guy who's "made it" — but at a cost. Leslie Mann also stars as George's "one that got away."
Will you venture out to the theaters for this one, wait for the DVD, catch it on TV someday, or skip it altogether?
