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Matt Damon and Clint Eastwood Team Up . . . Again

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:05:19 -0700

Matt Damon is everywhere this week as he makes the rounds promoting The Informant!, but he's making major career strides as well. Earlier this week I told you about his new role as Liberace's lover, and now Clint Eastwood has tapped Damon for Hereafter.

Damon is already in Eastwood's December release Invictus, which is about a South African rugby team, but Hereafter is said to be more of a supernatural thriller, along the lines The Sixth Sense. Could these two be the new Scorsese/DiCaprio?

Sounds like Matt is having no trouble keeping busy these days, which means Bourne 4 will probably go to the back burner. Are you excited to see Matt taking on another role with such an acclaimed director, or are you antsy to see him kicking butt as Bourne?

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:30:37 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to my selections below you can also add Nobel Son, The Shield: Season Seven, and Crossing Over.

Gran Torino
If you didn't catch what might be Clint Eastwood's last big screen appearance (and his most recent directorial venture) in Gran Torino, you're in for a DVD treat. I really enjoyed the screen legend's crotchety performance, and the film tells an interesting and heart-wrenching story.

Eastwood plays a cranky, rather bigoted old Korean War veteran who isn't happy about the Hmong immigrant population that surrounds him. Over time, however, he bonds with his young neighbors, learning about the gang violence these kids face on the street and how limited their opportunities are, and he becomes protective of them.

Special features include featurettes titled "Manning the Wheel: The meaning of manhood as reflected by the American car culture," and "Gran Torino: More Than a Car."

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One more up next, so read more.

The International
The International stars Clive Owen as an Interpol operative tracking the shady dealings of a large bank. He teams up with Naomi Watts's character to take on the global financial institution and together they bounce from one visually stunning European locale to the next.

The real reason to see this movie, in my opinion, is a lengthy gun fight scene that takes place in a re-created version of New York's Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum. It's pretty awesome.

Special features include extended scenes, a making-of featurette, and a behind-the-scenes look at shooting at the Guggenheim.

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Box Office: Gran Torino Drives Off With the Money

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:00:20 -0800

Recently, Clint Eastwood's movies (whether he's behind the camera or in front of it) are often critical hits but that doesn't necessarily translate into immediate box office success - until now!

Eastwood's latest movie, Gran Torino, debuted this weekend in the top spot, earning a whopping $29 million! It seems fitting that a movie that is rumored to be Eastwood's swan song is also his "best nationwide opening of all time, both as an actor and director." If you're gonna go out, go out on top!

In second place came Bride Wars which defied expectations with $21.5 million after a brutal week of being panned by critics. The horror flick The Unborn followed behind the brides in the third spot. Marley and Me and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button rounded out the top five respectively.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Buzz News Roundup, 11/14

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:30:29 -0800

Meryl Streep is in talks to take the lead (human) role in Dewey, a film based on Vicki Myron's book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. - Variety
Clint Eastwood is in talks to direct the supernatural thriller Hereafter. - ComingSoon
Sarah Silverman has signed a deal for a book of comedic essays. - New York Observer
Will Gluck will direct Easy A, a modern comedic retelling of The Scarlet Letter, set in a high school. - ComingSoon
Whoopi Goldberg will produce a London stage musical version of Sister Act. - Variety
Recently single Bachelorette DeAnna Pappas will be hosting a wedding show on Lifetime. - People
Hilary Duff will star in a new series for NBC. - Variety
Summit Entertainment has acquired the film rights to New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer's three Twilight follow-ups. - Zap2It

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Movie Preview: Gran Torino

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:39:06 -0700

Clint Eastwood directs himself in his next movie on deck after Changeling, and he has hinted that it will likely be his last performance. The first thing I noticed was how grizzly his voice stays through the entire preview. And my first reaction was that it is dangerously close to him parodying himself. Then there's a whole lot of racial tension and a startling image of this cranky man pointing a large gun at teenagers (dangerous teenagers, but still).

But let me rewind. According to IMDB, the plot of Gran Torino is as follows: "Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possesion: his 1972 Gran Torino."

Gran Torino opens Jan. 16. To watch the preview for yourself, read more.

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Changeling: An Emotional Meat Grinder

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:30:10 -0700

Clint Eastwood sure isn't one to shy away from dark, gut-wrenching material for his directorial projects, and Changeling is no exception. I went into the screening bracing myself for sorrow and pain, but I didn't brace myself enough. Changeling contains all the heavy sentimentality of Million Dollar Baby and that punch-in-the-stomach anguish of injustice found in Mystic River. Add to this the terrible real-life tragedy involving innocent children and you've got a very difficult (though worthwhile) movie-watching experience.

In 1928, single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) returns home from her job at the telephone company to discover that her son Walter has gone missing. After a few months, the LAPD claim they've found her son and they bring a child, claiming to be Walter, to Christine. She insists he isn't her child but the shady police captain, J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan), desperate for the LAPD to have a positive story in the news, bullies Christine into believing that she's just a woman who has been driven to hysterics by grief and worry. All of Christine's further attempts to convince the police department that her son is still at large are shot down until Jones finally hauls Christine away to a mental institution to shut her up. For more of the story and some of my thoughts on it all, read more.

Christine's only ally is Gustav Briegleb, a Presbyterian reverend who makes it his mission to expose the corruption of the LAPD. Ultimately, detective Lester Ybarra follows a lead that brings him to Wineville, California where the disturbed Gordon Northcott (Jason Butler Harner) has been committing heinous crimes against children. Gordon's trial comes about at the same time that Christine and Gustav are bringing charges against the LAPD. All the while, Christine doggedly continues her search for Walter, spurred by her belief that he's still out in the world.

There are so many aspects of this movie that claw at the heart. There's the missing child storyline, and the infuriating treatment of Christine Collins when she asks for a decent amount of help from the LAPD. Then there's the horrifying situation (made more horrifying by the fact that it's a true story) involving Gordon Northcott in Wineville. And there's the outrageous incarceration of Christine Collins (and any other woman who dares take the LAPD to task) in the mental institute. It's just a constant barrage of emotional beatings that had me squirming in my seat, more uncomfortable than I've been at a movie in a long, long time. By the end of it, I was exhausted.

Eastwood has captured the time period remarkably well, down to the last careful detail, and any film that can evoke such fury, horror, and aching sympathy is certainly one for the ages. Angelina Jolie's performance is excellent and focused, and while it's strange to see her play someone so meek, I easily bought her as a gentle, average mother caught up in a situation more harrowing than your worst nightmare. An equally powerful performance, however, is Jason Butler Harner's as the mentally unstable Gordon. Of course we loathe this character, but Harner somehow brings a bewildering and terribly sad humanity to an otherwise monstrous person. Amy Ryan is also riveting - making her role both pitiable and strong - as another woman who has been wrongfully committed to the mental institute. These performances, along with Eastwood's direction make for a staggering film, even if it does leave your heart feeling shredded.

Photos courtesy of Universal

Movie Preview: Angelina Jolie in Changeling

BuzzSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:33:29 -0700

As is the case with many of this Fall's most anticipated films, Clint Eastwood's Changeling looks to be heavy, dark and emotionally draining. Luckily, Eastwood got Angelina Jolie, no stranger to this type of material, to play the heart-wrenchingly sympathetic protagonist. The movie screened at Cannes and many who have seen it agree that it will have no problem nabbing Oscar nominations. From the trailer, I can certainly see why.

In the film, set in the late-1920s, Jolie plays Christine Collins, a mother whose son has gone missing. A boy shows up claiming to be her son, but isn't, and Christine must then fight against corrupt police officers (who consider the case closed) in her frantic search for answers. Last month we got a first look at a clip from the film, which was tense and difficult enough, but this new trailer includes more details of the harrowing story. It also prominently features John Malkovich's character, which has piqued my curiosity about this film even more.

The historical drama hits theaters in wide release October 31. To watch the trailer, read more.

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First Look: Angelina Jolie in Changeling

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:30:19 -0700

Clint Eastwood's period drama, Changeling (or The Exchange, depending on who you ask) premiered at Cannes and succeeded in impressing the critics, some of whom claim that Angelina Jolie may be looking at an Oscar nomination for her starring role. There's still no trailer for the film which is supposed to open in limited release October 24, but we do have a clip to check out.

The movie is set in the late-1920s and is based on true events. Jolie plays Christine Collins, a mother whose son has gone missing. A boy shows up claiming to be her son, but isn't, and Christine must then fight against corrupt police officers and shady reporters in her frantic search for answers. In addition, she fights the unfair restrictions and expectations placed on women during this era.

According to US Magazine, Jolie based her characterization of Christine on her own mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who died of cancer in January 2007.

The clip shows the heartbreaking moment when Christine meets the young boy who is not her son. To watch, read more.

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Buzz Gift Guide: Entertaining Dad

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:30:07 -0700

Dads: They're just like us. They, too, need good entertainment within arm's reach to keep life fun, so today I'm sharing a couple of gift ideas that I've got my eye on for Father's Day!

What dad wouldn't kill for the newly released collector's edition of Dirty Harry? This package comes with everything a fan would want related to the movie series, which stars Clint Eastwood as the macho San Francisco police inspector, including a new retrospective documentary titled The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry. Go ahead, make dad's day.

Music-wise, Al Green is the coolest cat of all - and his new album features duets with young singers including John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae, so it's a great candidate for a daddy-daughter sing-along.

I recently passed Ian McEwan's novel Saturday on to my dad while on vacation, and he gave it two thumbs up. It's the story of a middle-aged man who has everything you could want in life - a career, great kids, a loving wife - whose ordinary day takes an extraordinary turn that pushes his courage to the limits.

Finally, if you want to sit down and laugh with your dad this Father's Day, you'd do well to stay away from films like Knocked Up (awkward). Try introducing him to the goofy fun of the Flight of the Conchords HBO show instead.

Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition ($60)	Flight of the Conchords - The Complete First Season ($24)
Lay It Down, Al Green ($13)	Saturday by Ian McEwan ($13)

Damon and Eastwood Join Freeman for Nelson Mandela Movie

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:31:39 -0700

Clint Eastwood is set to direct a script based on the true-life events documented in the book, The Human Factor: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Changed the World by John Carlin. Matt Damon will play star rugby player Francois Pienaar who befriended Nelson Mandela (who, as we learned a while back, will be portrayed by Morgan Freeman) during the run-up to a game that "gave whites and blacks in South Africa a common cause to rally around as the country was trying to heal from the wounds of apartheid."

Morgan Freeman is producing the film, and he first sought Mandela's blessing before approaching Eastwood. With this amazing talent, remarkable story and, yes, Matt Damon as a rugby player, I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about this dramatic project.

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