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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:30:38 -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.

The Reader
If you didn't catch this provocative movie about the Holocaust (and so much more), now is your chance to do so. This is the performance that won Kate Winslet the Golden Globe and the Oscar and if you bring this movie home it won't be hard to see why.

She's mesmerizing as Hanna Schmitz, a German woman who strikes up an affair with a teenager named Michael Berg. In college, Berg learns that Hanna harbors many secrets when she goes on trial for Nazi war crimes. Ralph Fiennes plays an older Michael who struggles to reconcile his feelings for the woman he had an affair with, while comprehending the crimes she's committed.

Special features include deleted scenes, "Adapting a Timeless Masterpiece: Making The Reader," Kate Winslet talking about how to play an aging Hanna Schmitz, and the trailer.

One more up next so read more.

The Spirit
First of all, that's kind of a funny DVD cover, right? Scarlett looks a little out of it, Eva is windblown in a way that makes me laugh, and it's like Samuel L. Jackson needs a gun in each hand to do some hard thinking. Anyway, Director Frank Miller has a way of dividing people so if you weren't a fan of Sin City you likely won't enjoy this movie. If you do like the look and feel of this guy's movies, then you may want to add this title to your queue.

Here's the description of the plot: "After rookie Central City cop Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) is murdered, he's mysteriously reborn as masked superhero the Spirit. Setting out to rid the streets of crime, he finds his archnemesis in the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson), whose quest for immortality imperils the entire city."

Special features include a never-before-seen alternate ending to the film.

The Spirit: A Flashy Story Lacking Soul

BuzzSugar — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 13:30:50 -0800

From dime-store digests to lush graphic novels, the comic-book genre has fully established itself as part of high culture. Along with the literary upgrade have come equally artful films, including The Dark Knight and Sin City. But for all its highbrow hopes, The Spirit plays like a B movie.

Written and directed by Frank Miller of Sin City and 300 fame, The Spirit is no Sin City or even the less cerebral 300. As both artful sketch and pure entertainment, The Spirit is lacking. For all the highs and lows, read more.

With its black-and-white brushstroke canvas and film-noir narration, The Spirit starts with promise. In cahoots with the local cops, the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) is a slain policeman turned subdued superhero and ladies man who feels indebted to keep watch over his city.

Our hero has a campy rivalry with the requisite villain, a theatrical mad scientist known as the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) with a genetically engineered posse of doofus henchman. When one brute gets killed off, Octopus and his evil assistant (Scarlett Johansson) just make more, all in pursuit of an urn containing the blood of Heracles that the Octopus needs to secure his immortality.

The plot is fairly simple. Yet with each new character who is introduced- a devoted doctor smitten with the Spirit, an angel of death draped in a sparkly veil, a jewel thief who is the Spirit's childhood love (Eva Mendes) - the movie gets ever more spiritless. Despite its loftiest constructs, mythic undertones, and bizarre Nazi imagery, The Spirit is almost cool but mostly just awkward. The aesthetics look impressive, but the tone is all off. It's like the comic-book film equivalent of a one-camera sitcom without a laugh track that just isn't funny enough.

Photos Courtesy of Lionsgate

EW's Filmmakers Panel With Smith, Apatow, Snyder and Miller

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:30:03 -0700

Entertainment Weekly held a few "Visionaries" panels at Comic-Con that brought together some of the greats in the TV, movies and comic book worlds. At the filmmakers panel, it was mostly a kick to see Kevin Smith, Judd Apatow, Zack Snyder and Frank Miller all at one table. It turned into the Smith-Apatow comedy hour, but that seemed to suit the audience members (myself included) just fine. Check out some of the highlights below.

The whole panel was super bawdy and raunchy, mostly due to Smith and Apatow making dirty jokes about each other. And then there was the smiling, friendly-faced Zack Snyder, who awkwardly bumbled out an answer to a question, after which there were about three beats of silence before Smith said, "Thank God your visuals are so strong, man." Smith later marveled at how awesome Snyder's Watchmen looks, saying he could die once he sees that movie.
Apatow talked about his raunchy comedies: "You have to find out: how much penis can you show in a movie without clearing an entire room?" Meanwhile, Smith nodded, deadpan, like he totally understood.
Smith: "I go with my gut, but my gut has lied to me in the past, like, when my gut said, 'Yeah, Jersey Girl's a great idea!'"
Frank Miller: "Very early on I learned I was incompetent at anything else. So I started to make comic books."

More on comics, geek culture, and how comedians differ from rappers (according to Apatow), if you read more.

Smith said he knew a while ago that it was only a matter of time before the comic book movie trend exploded. "Why not mine some of the most creative material ever, that's already been around for 50, 60 years? I think geek culture is here to stay. Thank God for Quentin Tarantino."
When asked whether he might attempt a different kind of movie than those he’s been making, Apatow answered in the negative, stating "There will be no movie with fairies and goblins. . . who can't get laid."
When asked about their influences, Apatow immediately said - without a trace of irony - Kevin Smith. "He laid down the track. I saw Clerks and I was like, ‘You can do that?!'" Smith reached over and gathered Apatow into a hug.
Apatow, babbling: "Comedians are not like rappers. Rappers kill each other and comedians like each other…" A few beats of baffled silence ensued before Smith asked, "Did you just step out of 1989? When was the last time a rapper killed another rapper?"
Frank Miller, on direct-to-internet content and advice for aspiring filmmakers: "Find the places the censors haven't found yet. Cause as much trouble as you can."

The Spirit Looks Good, Watchmen Looks Freaking Awesome

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:33:41 -0700

Yeah, another dispatch from Comic-Con today but I just had to share because I attended the panels for Watchmen (see: photo below) and The Spirit today and both were so exciting. The one for Watchmen in particular was not only coolest in terms of the footage we got to see, but also because of the funny, laid-back vibe of the panel. I think Zack Snyder with his friendly, boy-next-door ways pretty much set the tone for that.

More on that later. First, some thoughts on Frank Miller's film version of Will Eisner's The Spirit:

There are two things that I really loved about The Spirit footage we saw and the panel itself. For one, the movie truly looks like a comic book, and it's a lot of fun to watch. Jaime King described it as visually "intoxicating," which I could see. Secondly, Samuel L. Jackson was at the panel and he was a great interviewee. He chuckled when the topic of his Spirit character's Nazi costume came up. "That was awesome. I was a Nazi! Nick Fury became a black skinhead."
That said, there was something about both the movie and the panel that was a little empty and detached. Miller completely admits that if a woman is in his movies, she's gonna be hot and wearing tight clothing. And that's fine. His choice, etc. But there's a line between making an artistic choice and objectifying women, and Miller skates that line.
Finally, there's the issue of the Spirit himself, played by Gabriel Macht. I think Macht is an incredibly cute guy. And the character of the hero of the film is an important one to cast. On this topic, Miller mentioned that Hollywood has many fine male actors, but "not many men." Which is why, he says, we hold onto the Bruce Willises and Harrison Fords and Clive Owens (his examples, all). And then. . . he chose Gabriel Macht to be his manly hero? I thought the footage they showed us from the movie would explain this a little more, but not so. Onscreen as the Spirit, Macht is likable and funny and cute, but he's not the heroic "man" that Miller referenced earlier, which struck me as odd.

For some of my thoughts on Watchmen sneak peek, read more.

As I mentioned, director Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead) has this easygoing, affable manner, and it really set the tone for the panel, which included all the main actors: Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode and Patrick Wilson. All of them seem to be deeply passionate about the film, and about doing justice to the original source material by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Snyder said he knew an adaptation of Watchmen - which has been said to be the one work that is "unfilmmable" - was in the works, and he decided to direct it mostly out of fear that someone else wouldn't do it well enough.
And it appears that Snyder brought it to life stupendously. The clip montage we were shown was completely wordless, set to that ominous-sounding choral music (as opposed to the Smashing Pumpkins song in the trailer, "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning"), so it's mostly a series of images. If you know what's going on in the story of the Watchmen, it's really, really freaking cool. All the effects aren't completely done, they were careful to say, but so far, Billy Crudup's bright blue Dr. Manhattan looks super cool, and Rorschach's ever-morphing face mask is totally mesmerizing.
Speaking of Rorschach, Jackie Earle Haley said that he gained inspiration and knowledge about how to play Rorschach by looking at online fan sites and blog threads and reading what all the fans believe Rorschach is like. "I learned a lot about him from you," he said. At an event where a lot of the movie panels seem to be mostly about stroking and re-stroking certain egos, this deferential comment - specifically toward the very types of people who attend Comic-Con - was really refreshing.

The Spirit Gets a New Trailer

BuzzSugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:00:39 -0700

The new trailer for the upcoming film The Spirit brings fans of Sin City back to the world of Frank Miller and his surreal,
noir-ish style. The description of the plot (based on a popular comic by Will Eisner) on IMDB is this: "Rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the beyond as The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight against the bad forces in Central City."

In the trailer we find a man in a Zorro-like mask (Because I Said So's Gabriel Macht) being tormented by the hot women in his world who all seem to want to have sex with him. . . or something. But apparently, this is a bad thing. And then Samuel L. Jackson storms across the screen in several crazy get-ups that include something of a Nazi uniform.

In other words: It's probably just the thing you'd expect from this director and I think his fans will be pleased.

The movie also stars Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, and Jaime King and will be released in theaters on December 25. To see the new trailer for yourself, read more.

Source

Movie News Roundup: Watts, Fox, Another 300 Movie and More

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:46:17 -0700

According to The Guardian, Naomi Watts will play one of King Lear's daughters in the next film adaptation of Shakespeare's play. Gwyneth Paltrow and Keira Knightley will take on the roles of the other two daughters to Anthony Hopkins's King Lear.
Matthew Fox is in talks to star in yet another one of Hollywood's comic book-turned-movies, Billy Smoke, about "an elite hit man who's nearly killed during a botched job and realizes that his only way to find redemption is to rid the world of all assassins."
Hollywood Reporter writes that Helena Bonham Carter will have a "small but pivotal role" in the fourth Terminator movie.
A follow-up to 300 is officially in the works, with Frank Miller currently writing the graphic novel on which it will be based. Though he's not committed yet, 300 director Zack Snyder is "definitely interested" to see what Miller comes up with. It's unclear whether the new installment will be a prequel or a spinoff, Variety reports.
Robert Rodriguez is casting his lady Rose McGowan yet again, this time for a new film version of Red Sonja, a story based on the fearsome woman warrior created by Robert E. Howard and later adapted for Marvel Comics, Variety writes.
According to Hollywood Reporter, four more ladies (Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis and Zoe Bell) have joined Drew Barrymore's directorial feature Whip It, starring Ellen Page. The movie is based on the novel Derby Girl.

Source, source, source and source

What Do You Think of Frank Miller-Directed Movies?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:30:16 -0700

There continue to be posters, images and recently a teaser trailer for the Frank Miller-directed adaptation of Will Eisner's comic The Spirit. Everything we've seen so far features Miller's distinctive style - oozing with sexiness, promising violence, and rendered mostly in shades of black, white, and red.

Miller (who wrote 300) also wrote and directed Sin City, which I liked well enough (though some claim it's on the misoginystic side) and I think the teaser for The Spirit looks pretty cool. I know plenty of people who don't like this sort of thing and certainly won't be lining up to see The Spirit. I also know there are lots of fans of the comic who are salivating over every new poster we get for this project that isn't even set to hit theaters until December 25.

Where do you fall in the spectrum? Are you interested in The Spirit?

Source and source

Who's Auditioning for the Justice League Movie?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:25:44 -0700

These guys!
Yup, Adam Brody, a.k.a. little indie Seth Cohen of The O.C. is trying out for a role in the Justice League movie. He's up against a slew of other young actors, as well as rapper Common who, in my humble opinion, would make a gorgeous addition to the cast.

What are the roles that need to be filled?
Director George Miller is looking for people to play Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter.

Who else is auditioning?
A good chunk of the Friday Night Lights cast (Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki, Scott Porter) is in the running, along with Joseph Cross (Running With Scissors), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Grindhouse), Michael Angarano (Sky High), Teresa Palmer (December Boys) and Max Thieriot (Jumper). The hopefuls are all on the young side because Miller is reportedly "looking for actors to grow into their roles over the course of several movies." So, which young actors do you think should play these superhero parts?

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Comic-Con Report: Reaper, Clive, Gondry, More

BuzzSugar — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:25:57 -0700

Friday was another busy day at Comic-Con in San Diego, and Team member Phasekitty is again offering up her reports from the floor. Be sure to check out all of her blogging about the event. Here are a few highlights:

At the "Reaper" panel, Phasekitty got to hear Kevin Smith talk about his role in directing one of my favorite pilots for the CW. You should really just read Phasekitty's full report from the panel, but a couple of highlights: She saw the re-shot pilot with Missy Peregrym (a newer version than I've seen) and learned that Smith has two upcoming film projects scheduled back-to-back starting in January.

Remember that teaser for Get Smart I posted a little bit ago? Well, at the Warner Bros. panel, Phasekitty got to see the whole thing. She writes: "It shows more of the cast and gives us a taste of the physical comedy and action. Also we get to see a lot more of Anne Hathaway's character, Agent 99, previously only briefly seen in the teaser."
There was also an update on Watchmen, where Phasekitty says fans seemed pleased so far. Cast members Jackie Earle Haley and Malin Ackerman joined the panel where, Phasekitty says, "they mostly talked about how they planned to do the source material justice and how they hoped that if Alan Moore ever sees it he wouldn't hate it too much."
The New Line Cinema panel featured three of the action sequences for Shoot 'Em Up, the Clive Owen film out in September. Phasekitty says: "It is some of the most exciting action I've seen in a long time; very similar to the Transporter series, though with a new comedic element. Clive Owen's character is protecting a woman and a child from a hit man (Paul Giamatti), and spends most of the action sequences out-shooting people with one hand and carrying the infant baby in the other."

More goodies, including updates on the new Michel Gondry film and the Star Wars episode of "Family Guy," so read more

New Line also showed the trailer for the new Michel Gondry film, Be Kind Rewind. I'm jealous! Here's what she said: "Ever since I heard the concept of this film, a guy accidentally erases all of the tapes in his video rental store and him and a friend replace them with their own homemade takes on the films, I've been looking forward to seeing footage from it. I love Michael Gondry and this is just the original concept that he seems to shine with. The trailer they screened for this was hysterical. The film stars Jack Black and Mos Def and is set to release by the end of the year."
After a five-minute clip from The Golden Compass, Phasekitty got worried that it was maybe a little too much like the Narnia film, though she said Nicole Kidman fit well into the villain's role.
Frank Miller project update!

He said that Sin City 2 is on definite hold right now. It was delayed last year, for his vague reason of "something to do with the Weinsteins," but he did sound a little annoyed when he said that it should have been out by now. The script is ready and will be based on the second installment to the series, A Dame to Kill For, and various other short stories from the seventh installment. Another highly anticipated project in the comic book adaptation world is Will Eisner's "The Spirit." Miller announced that he would be helming the project as the director at Comic-Con last year and this year divulges that he is storyboarding it now and they will begin shooting soon in Albuquerque. Many people, myself included, feel that Miller may have bit off more than he can chew with this one; he is adapting a very beloved character in the comic book universe and has very little experience. His only directing credit comes in the form of a co-directing credit on the first Sin City. Let's hope he does the character justice. Miller also revealed that though his arm had to be twisted to agree to Sin City, after the success of that and 300, he plans on adapting more of his works, but would not hint at which ones.
Here's how the cast breaks down for the Star Wars episode of "Family Guy": Stewie is Darth Vader, Peter is Han Solo, Chris is Luke Skywalker, Brian is Chewbacca, Lois is Princess Lea, Quagmire is C-3PO, and Cleveland is R2D2.

Clive Owen and Frank Miller Team Up for Trouble

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:27:45 -0700

Look at that pretty pink book cover with the gun on it!
That's a Raymond Chandler book, Trouble Is My Business, being adapted for film by Frank Miller (Sin City, 300). Clive Owen is set to executive produce and star.

The awesome quote from Variety:
"Trouble Is My Business was chosen partly because it provides the actor with a similar chance to frame the narrative with a compelling voiceover, using Chandler's hardboiled prose as hard-drinking private eye Philip Marlowe cracks cases, busts heads and romances femme fatales in 1940s Los Angeles."

What you should do now:
What I'm going to do: Re-watch for the umpteenth time Clive Owen kicking butt and looking good in the trailer for this fall's Shoot 'Em Up.

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