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Brad Pitt Might Face Off With RDJ in Sherlock Holmes Sequel

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:30:33 -0700

Warner Brothers is already developing a sequel to the not-yet-released Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, and early gossip suggests that Brad Pitt has been in talks to join the cast as Moriarity, Holmes's rival.

Please let this be true! Not only would adding Pitt to the Downey-Law lineup help keep the Holmes franchise afloat, but Downey and Pitt in the same film is pretty much my dream - both guys have that wise-cracking persona, good looks, and it would be so much fun to see them spar.

The downside: Pitt's character Moriarity is supposedly only shown in shadow according to the script, making him impossible to actually see. Not a single shot of Pitt's face? Bummer.

No word yet if Pitt will be affecting a British accent or using his Inglorious Basterds hillbilly.

Movie Preview: Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:00:04 -0700

It would be an understatement indeed to say that we haven't seen Sherlock Holmes quite like this before. As this new trailer shows, Guy Ritchie's big screen Holmes story is full of action, violence, and good-looking people. There are quippy lines a-plenty (it is Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role and Guy Ritchie in the director's chair, after all) and elements of silliness - all of which rounds out to be quite a funny and heart-poundingly tense mystery.

As you'll see in the preview, this Holmes is more of a roguish fighter than a contemplative guy chewing on his pipe. Together with his partner Watson (Jude Law), the detective engages "in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England." Sherlock Holmes opens Dec. 25. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

RocknRolla: Slow to Build With a Rockin' Finish

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:30:32 -0800

RocknRolla is extremely similar in tone and format to director Guy Ritchie's other films, and I must say I'm starting to think that his movies are only as good as the actors in them. Snatch is a good ensemble piece overall, but the most memorable parts are due to standout performances by actors like Brad Pitt and Alan Ford. Though not as good a film as Snatch, RocknRolla similarly benefits from some fine performers, in this case Tom Wilkinson, Mark Strong, and Toby Kebbell, among other members of the extensive cast in this convoluted story.

And by convoluted I mean I'm not sure I can even get into the plot here without writing another six paragraphs or so. Suffice to say there are a couple high-level criminal guys (played by Tom Wilkinson, Mark Strong and others), a resourceful accountant (Thandie Newton), a few bumbling low-level thugs (Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy), and a druggie rock star, Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell) all chasing around large amounts of money and/or a beloved painting. There are a lot of men behaving badly because they had cruel fathers. There's a good amount of violence (often paired with great music) and torture mixed with dry, dark humor. It's funny and exciting - but not consistently so. For more on what I mean, read more.

The beginning is slow to build, with tons of details to take in at once, and sometimes the story is downright uninteresting. But the ending is exciting enough to make you forget the entire hour or so that came before it. Maybe that's Ritchie's shtick: Saving the best, most memorable parts for last so you're left with the impression that it was a great movie.

So, is it worth it? That depends. If you haven't liked any of Ritchie's stuff in the past, this movie will definitely not change your opinion. If you've never seen his movies, start with Snatch and make RocknRolla last on the list. And for any fan of his, RocknRolla is worth it for the helluva good ride we get to take in the last third or so of the movie.

Oh, also: We get a brief glimpse of Gerard Butler's bare backside. So. There's that.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

The Latest to Join Sherlock Holmes: Rachel McAdams

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:30:59 -0700

These two make a pretty magnificent pair, don't you think? Last we heard about Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movie, Jude Law was getting set to play Watson to Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes. The latest casting news is that Rachel McAdams will join the two men. The Hollywood Reporter explains:

The movie. . .takes its cue from a forthcoming comic book that producer Lionel Wigram wrote as a selling tool for a new take on the classic character. The concept sees Holmes as more adventurous and less stuffy than previous screen incarnations and mines more obscure character traits.

McAdams plays Holmes's enigmatic love interest, Irene Adler, a character who appeared in Doyle's 1891 A Scandal in Bohemia. While the character only appeared in that one story, McAdams' personage would return for any possible sequel.

I cannot wait to watch RDJ and Rachel McAdams, two darlings of the film world right now, play off one another. It's such a genius pairing.

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More Sherlock Holmes News: Robert Downey Jr. to Play Holmes

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:31:57 -0700

Man, I love me some Robert Downey Jr. casting news, and this one's got me all giddy. Variety is reporting that RDJ will play Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's reimagined version of the old sleuth's story (not to be confused with the comedic Sherlock Holmes story starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell). The article has more details:

Downey emerged as an action star with Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes also will take advantage of his physical skills as the character displays brawn as well as brains.

The basis for the film is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tales, but also the comic book Sherlock Holmes.

Now that I'm envisioning it, this seems like the best possible casting decision for Ritchie's project, especially since, as Variety notes, the image idea of RDJ as action star is still fresh in our minds. He can play Sherlock, and many of you think he should be the one picked to portray a young Hugh Hefner - is there anything this guy can't do? Seriously. I'm asking you.

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Which Sherlock Holmes Movie Would You Rather See?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:32:48 -0700

There was Sherlock Holmes movie news recently (Guy Ritchie looking to re-invent the old sleuth story) and now there's more Sherlock Holmes movie news (Sacha Baron Cohen playing Holmes, Will Ferrell to play Watson in, of course, a comedic version). Can we call it a Sherlock Holmes "surge" or "trend" yet?

Regardless, there are two Holmes projects in the works and both sound intriguing. Especially now that I've seen the (freaking amazing) trailer for Ritchie's upcoming RocknRolla, I can't wait to see what kind of Sherlock Holmes movie Ritchie can create.

At the same time, Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell? Um, yes, please. They're funny together in Talladega Nights, and this movie has the potential to be hilarious, especially with Judd Apatow producing (though we know that's not always the sure sign of a great flick).

Which of these sounds more interesting to you?

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Movie Preview: Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:31:47 -0700

The title of this movie doesn't have an exclamation point at the end - I added that to the headline on account of my extreme enthusiasm for the RocknRolla trailer! As a huge fan of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, I am positively giddy to see a trailer for another movie in that same vein. Plus, the cast rocks. There's Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, and, well, Ludacris. There's also Hottie McManly himself, Gerard Butler.

The trailer shows a supernatural aspect to this movie, along with the same old violence and that kind of wry, dark humor that permeates Snatch and Barrels. The plot description states: "London's criminal underworld takes notice of a Russian mobster's shady land deal, a scam that puts millions of dollars up for grabs."

If you are already a fan of director Guy Ritchie's style (we can ignore that he ever had anything to do with Swept Away for now), you might swoon at this trailer just as much as I am. The movie opens in the UK September 12, and then we'll get it October 31. Until the video becomes embeddable, you'll have to check out the trailer over on Empire where it premiered. Enjoy! And let me know what you think.

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Guy Ritchie to "Reinvent" Sherlock Holmes

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:31:40 -0700

Oh, he'll still have his sidekick Dr. John H. Watson and his pipe will most likely make appearances, but the Sherlock Holmes for the new millennium will also "be more adventuresome and take advantage of his skills as a boxer and swordsman."

Guy Ritchie has signed on to direct the movie which will be based on Lionel Wigram's upcoming comic book, Sherlock Holmes. As Variety reminds us, "Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about Holmes, written in the late 19th century, emphasized the detective's intellectual brilliance and power of deductive reasoning. The pipe-smoking character has been portrayed in more than 200 film and TV shows."

So, let's talk casting. Who should play this new, boxing, sword-wielding Holmes?

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:30:00 -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 the titles below, Guy Ritchie's Revolver and Southland Tales starring Justin Timberlake, The Rock, and Sarah Michelle Gellar are also available today.

Enchanted
Is it just me or does it feel like we've been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD for forever? Enchanted is a treat for anyone who grew up loving those good old-fashioned animated Disney films (remember life before Pixar?). I truly enjoyed this trip down Disney Memory Lane and I know a lot of you did, too. The movie, starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon, and James Marsden is a wonderfully fun twist on the classic princess tale.

The story centers around Giselle (Adams), an amalgamation of Disney heroines from the days of yore who lives in a land called Andalasia. Giselle's chief concerns are marrying Prince Edward (Marsden), singing, and dancing with forest creatures. Edward's stepmother (Sarandon) is unhappy with Gisele and Edward's relationship, and she uses her evil magic to boot Giselle out of the animated world and into real-world Times Square. Once there, Giselle's simple, optimistic outlook on life is challenged by a force much darker and more cynical than any evil witch: a New York divorce attorney (Dempsey).

This DVD comes with lots of special featurettes including bloopers, a glimpse behind the creation of Andalasia, and extra shorts about Pip's (Giselle's trusty chipmunk friend) adventures.

More romance and adventure coming out this week, so read more.

I am Legend
I Am Legend was hit or miss with folks when it came out, but now that it's on DVD it's the kind of movie that will do the trick if you're looking to kick back and be entertained by some action. Plus, it's Will Smith and he's always good entertainment.

The film is based on Richard Matheson's 1954 sci-fi novel and follows Robert Neville (Smith), one of the few people who survives a virus that nearly renders humanity extinct. Robert's not alone however, there is another group of people, the infecteds, who have turned into "the night seekers." These scary things are like vampires/zombies that go around at night trying to infect surviving humans. Robert, a scientist, is working hard to find a cure for the disease before the creepies can get him. Thus, this sci-fi thriller takes you through a suspenseful race against time.

Special features include four animated comics as well as bonus material "exploring the history and current status of life-threatening viral infections."

Love in the Time of Cholera
I'm a big fan of Gabriel García Márquez’s wonderful 1985 novel Love in the Time of Cholera, as are many, but when I heard it was being adapted to film I had a hard time figuring out how that would work. In the book, plot isn't necessarily the driving force so much as the long, gorgeous sentences and the poetic feeling of the exquisite torture of longing for something you love. Like many, this film slipped off my radar and I still haven't been able to see this story brought to life onscreen.

I'm adding this to my queue partly out of curiosity, but also because the Oscar-winning super dreamy Javier Bardem stars as Florentino Ariza, a young man who falls hard (seriously, he loves her forever) for Fermina Daza (played by Giovanna Mezzogiorno). The film is directed by Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Four Weddings and Funeral) and was filmed in Columbia. Add it all up and this is one romantic drama I'm excited to get lost in at home.

Buzz News Roundup, 5/14

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 14:07:14 -0700

Maria Bello is set to replace Rachel Weisz in the next Mummy movie, Variety tells us.
The Smashing Pumpkins plan "residencies" in San Francisco and Asheville, N.C. this summer, Billboard reports.
The Los Angeles Times profiles Judd Apatow, whom they call "the mayor of comedy."
CBS is giving up on Innertube and looking for new places to put its online videos, writes the Wall Street Journal.
Speaking of CBS, the network has some crazy shows lined up for fall, Variety reports.

Hollywood Reporter says Guy Ritchie's next directorial project will be RocknRolla, an "ensemble British gangster flick" in the vein of Snatch.
The AP reports that Serbian singer Marija Serifovic won this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Finland. In other Eurovision news, the co-screenwriter for Borat is working on a comedic movie about the contest, says Variety.

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