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Movie Preview: The Road

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:13 -0700

It must be Highly Anticipated Trailer Day today or something: First we got a glimpse of Nine, and now we have the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road. The movie stars Viggo Mortensen as a man coping emotionally and physically in a post-apocalyptic world and trying to defend his family.

The book uses an apocalyptic scenario as a way to meditate on themes of humanity, and the effect is stirring. I don't know if it's the marketing campaign or if this is the route the entire movie is taking, but I'm surprised this trailer makes The Road look more like an action-packed thriller (explosions, gun fights, chase scenes, etc.) rather than a solemn journey into our worst nightmare. Either way, it looks extremely creepy.

Even though the movie won't be out until Oct. 16, one early review is calling it "the most important movie of the year." That's a big statement!

The Road also stars Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, and Guy Pearce. To watch the trailer, read more.

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Bill Murray Joins Movie About Funeral-Staging

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:31:49 -0800

The premise for this movie is actually kind of funny (I mean, if you ignore the emotional toll this would take on your loved ones): In 1938 a Tennessee recluse named Felix "Bush" Breazeale staged his own funeral so he could be around to enjoy it.

Now the story will be adapted for the big screen, with Bill Murray and Lucas Black signed on to play partners at the funeral home. Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek are also starring in the film which has the title Get Low. But here's the super weird part: Variety claims the movie will be a "period dramatic thriller." A thriller? Really? I figured this would have more of a Waking Ned Devine-esque feel to it - dark and funny with adorable elderly guys.

It's pretty morbid stuff but then again, many people wonder what their funerals will be like. . . Right? Maybe it's just me. Of course I would never stage the thing (can you imagine?!), but I'm very curious to see a movie about someone who actually did.

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Bridges, Gyllenhaal, and Duvall Get a Little Bit Country

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:30:03 -0700

A blockbuster superhero movie can certainly get the casting directors interested: Both Jeff Bridges (Iron Man) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight) will have won over critics and audiences alike come Summer's end, and now they've added another project to their schedules. Along with Robert Duvall, the two will star in a "music-based drama" based on a book by Thomas Cobb titled Crazy Heart.

The good news. . .
That cast! Love Bridges, love me some Maggie and of course Duvall is a class act, so there you go. Also, the story sounds a little generic, but I'm still curious about it. Variety has the details:

Story centers on a down-on-his-luck, alcoholic country music singer (Bridges) who is able to get his life and career back on track through his relationship and experiences with a female reporter (Gyllenhaal).

The part that makes me wonder. . .
Jeff Bridges is going to perform original songs by famed country producer T Bone Burnett in the film - but can he sing? And can he sing country music? I'm interested to see that. The movie is also being produced by CMT Films which has had a hand in the existence of Toby Keith's Beer for My Horses. So. . .yeah.

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Buzz News Roundup, 7/2

BuzzSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:32:44 -0700

According to Variety, Josh Hartnett will be starring in a London stage production of the movie Rain Man, taking on the role originally played by Tom Cruise.
Rapper Young Jeezy will join the cast of Ice Cube's comedy Janky Promoters, Billboard writes.
Michael Imperioli will join the cast of ABC's Life on Mars, Variety reports.
Four more actors have joined the cast of the Night at the Museum sequel, including Christopher Guest, ComingSoon reports.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Criminal Minds looks like the next CBS show to get a spinoff.
Billboard writes that at a private concert this week, Pearl Jam helped raise $3 million for the poverty-fighting charity the Robin Hood Foundation.
TNT will remake the British series Cracker, about an abrasive and heavy-drinking detective, with Robert Duvall as an executive producer, Zap2it reports.
A lost interview with the Beatles has been aired on BBC radio, the Associated Press reports.

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We Own the Night: Hardly New York's Finest

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

I wandered into We Own the Night expecting stellar performances that would rescue an otherwise so-so movie. And though the movie was definitely so-so (really, a few notches below), I can't blame the actors. After all, the script - riddled with clichés and sorely lacking any dramatic tension - didn't give the typically talented performers anything to work with.

Set in late '80s Brooklyn and Queens, We Own the Night stars Joaquin Phoenix as Bobby Green, the manager of a wildly popular mega-club. His real name is Grusinsky, and his dad, Burt (Robert Duvall), and brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) are devoted servants of the NYPD. But taking up his mother's maiden name keeps Bobby's background from interfering with his hobbies, such as recreational cocaine use and hanging with his hot girlfriend, Amada (Eva Mendes).

But guess what? Dad and Joseph are investigating a drug ring run by a Russian mobster who frequents Bobby's club, and they want Bobby to help smoke him out. The plot reads vaguely like The Departed, but the similarities end there, so read more

Bobby has no interest in being a rat, until his brother is shot and injured by the mobsters. Then he decides to go undercover to capture the bad guy, and the action unfolds from there.

Unlike The Departed and many other gripping police dramas, We Own the Night is neither gripping nor dramatic. The familial bonds that are supposedly so central to the story are hardly felt, since we learn very little about the characters or their motivations. The plot progresses in a very predictable arc, and for anyone who doesn't find it predictable, there is a lot of obvious foreshadowing to help us along.

Mostly, the movie, though unconventional, is disappointingly dull; it feels like an amateur filmmaker trying to make a serious movie. Thankfully, a few elements rise above mediocrity: Director James Gray does an excellent job of visually capturing the bleak but indulgent mood of the New York drug scene in 1988, and a climactic car-chase scene through the blinding rain is expertly crafted. Otherwise, We Own the Night comes dangerously close to made-for-TV fare.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:36:05 -0800

The trailer for Crazy Heart notes that both stars Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal have been nominated for Oscars, and the solemn, raw tone of the film looks an awful lot like awards show bait for these two big talents. Jeff Bridges stars as Bad Blake, a grizzled, hard-livin', lovin', and drinkin' country singer/songwriter who's known for his amazing music, and Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the journalist he eventually falls for.

We don't see a ton of plot in the trailer, but the story seems like a familiar one, complete with introspection and a soft country anthem that fits the title. Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall also star in the film, which features original songs by celebrated songwriter T-Bone Burnett.

To see the trailer and predict for yourself if this is one you're going to be seeing in the Oscar race, just read more.