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James McAvoy May Star in Redford's Lincoln Movie

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:30:58 -0700

Can there ever be too much James McAvoy news in one day? I think not. Especially when one news item pairs the adorable actor up with Seth Rogen and another item has him possibly acting in a movie directed by Robert Redford. Titled The Conspirator, Redford's film is described as an indie historical drama about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Interestingly, though, the project will be focused on a woman: Mary Surratt, the alleged conspirator of assassin John Wilkes Booth. Here's more on the woman's story:

Surratt's is a compelling story. A Washington D.C. boardinghouse owner who sympathized with the Confederates, she was allegedly part of the plot to kill Lincoln, supplying Wilkes Booth and his accomplice David Herold weapons at her tavern after the assassin had shot the president at Ford's Theater.

Surratt's son John was also alleged to be part of the conspiracy. Mary Surratt was eventually convicted and hanged for conspiring to kill the president; her son went on the lam and eventually was put on trial but was never convicted, living until 1916.

The pic will also center on a young Union hero named Frederick Aiken who was appointed to defend Mary Surratt, and who comes to believe that the widow is innocent.

McAvoy is reportedly at the top of a list of potential actors for one of the lead roles, though no news yet on who will play the conspiratorial leading lady. I have loved seeing McAvoy in period pieces (Atonement and Becoming Jane, particularly) so this should be good. Now we just need to know who will take the main female role - any suggestions on who should play Mary Surratt?

Weekend Reading: The History of Sundance

BuzzSugar — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 07:30:05 -0800

This year marks the 25th anniversary for the Sundance Film Festival, which is about as long as some of us have been alive. It's easy to take for granted the fact that this festival held in a snowy little Utah town wasn't always the influential mega-event it is today. Recently the LA Times had an interesting retrospective about the festival's origins and the way it revolutionized independent film.

Some interesting nuggets:

Steven Soderbergh's debut feature film is partly responsible for the festival's success. Director Bryan Singer reminisces, "Sex, Lies, and Videotape made guys like me go, 'If I can get into the Sundance Film Festival, I'll have a shot at a career.'"
Aw, Kevin Smith was working as a convenience store clerk when he brought his little movie Clerks to Sundance. He says of the heady experience, "It was basically me showing up in Utah and the Mormon God saying, 'I am going to grant you every wish you ever had, including some you never thought of.'"
Also, Smith tells the reporter that Clerks was made for $27,575.
Originally the festival was called The Utah/U.S. Film Festival but after Robert Redford's gang took over in 1989, some changes were made. "Organizers began to shift the festival's focus toward contemporary films that took storytelling risks."
The article asserts that "nobody embodies the go-for-broke moviemaking ingenuity now commonly associated with Sundance entries more than. . . Robert Rodriguez." Apparently Rodriquez (director of Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Sin City) raised money for one of his movies by "volunteering for experimental clinical drug testing." Hard core.

Photo courtesy of Sundance

Movie Night: Far-Off Destinations

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:30:04 -0700

I've been really inspired by traveling this week - both because of my own itch to go on an adventure and because I have a handful of friends who are either planning their honeymoon or enjoying it right now. As part of my travel urge, I got to thinking about movies that captured a culture and a country so well that they've made me add a new entry to my list of places I have vowed to visit. Come away with me on a mini-jaunt around the globe via this movie night!

Out of Africa
This Oscar-winning classic directed by the late Sydney Pollack starred Meryl Streep and an extremely dreamy Robert Redford, but the biggest star of the film is East Africa. The movie is loosely based on Karen Blixen's 1937 autobiography about her real-life journey to Kenya. The character based on Blixen enters a loveless marriage but then meets Redford's character, a local-game hunter, and an epic romance ensues. The movie was filmed on location and is breathtakingly beautiful. If this doesn't make you consider Africa as a travel destination, I don't know what will.

Two more glorious locations, so read more.

French Kiss
Most people probably don't need their arms twisted to stick France on their travel list, but when a movie comes along that captures that certain je ne sais quoi of the French countryside, vineyards, and coast, it makes not being there feel nearly intolerable. French Kiss is one of those movies, and it stars Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline as unlikely partners in a trek across France. She's on a mission to get her cheating fiance back, and he's a petty criminal who helps her as a means to reach his own goal of buying back a vineyard he lost. Their chemistry is charming, but the way the film captures the spirit and nonchalance of the place is what makes it a lovely vicarious trip abroad.

Sex and Lucia
To call this movie racy is probably an understatement. The word "sex" is in the title for good reason, because there's a lot of it in this mystical Spanish film - and it's pretty explicitly discussed and enacted. You've been warned. That said, nearly five years after I first saw this, what sticks with me are the unbelievably gorgeous shots of nature: the azure skies and ocean set against the snow-white sands of Spain's Balearic Islands. After this movie, this semi-remote location has remained high on my list of places to get myself to.

Source and Source

Tax Season Movie Night: Money, Money, Money

BuzzSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:30:27 -0700

Tax season is upon us and I know how stressful it can be to dig up receipts, fill out the forms and file the ol' taxes. Although my friend Savvy wouldn't be too happy to hear this, I have a bad habit of procrastinating and will find any reason to avoid doing my taxes. This year I have a new strategy: hold a money movie night with the following films and then do my taxes - no more excuses! It's a good plan because there are a lot of good lessons to learn from these movies, you know? OK, that's a lame rationalization, but hey, these movies are fun and might even convince you to stay away from white-collar crimes.

Trading Places
Just thinking about Trading Places makes me laugh, which is the perfect way to kick off a tax season movie night. Eddie Murphy stars alongside fellow funny man Dan Aykroyd in this film that poses the question: Does money make the man?

Louis Winthorpe III (Aykroyd) is a Harvard educated broker who has it all. Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy) is a street hustler angling for a dollar. When these two men switch places in society, all hilarity breaks loose. It's a wacky premise, but Murphy is hysterical and it's a funny peek at the ways in which money changes people.

Two more money movies, so read more.

Wall Street
In high school, my economics teacher taught us all about the stock market and making lots of money. And then he made us watch this movie starring Michael Douglas (who won an Oscar for his performance) and Charlie Sheen to warn us of the dangers of excess. Looking back, this was a smart move as Wall Street is the ultimate cautionary tale. At the center we see the evil, morally depraved Gordon Gekko (Douglas), who embodies the worst of the opulent 1980s. Sheen plays the young and naive newcomer who first believes he can make it big as a mover and shaker on Wall Street, but under the tutelage of the greedy Gekko finds himself tangled in an insider trading scheme and has to fight for his soul. Again, white-collar crime is bad. Thanks, Teach!

Indecent Proposal
Indecent Proposal, starring Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Robert Redford, is a provocative twist on an age-old question: How far are you willing to go for money? Moore and Harrelson are a happy couple who find themselves in a serious financial crisis and head to Vegas (naturally!). There, a rich, handsome stranger (Redford) offers them $1 million for a night of you-know-what with Moore. What follows is scandalous, shocking and painful. In the end though, it's a good lesson in how just a little bit of moral compromise in the name of greed can eat you alive.

Source and Source

Robert Redford to Take Bill Bryson's Walk in the Woods

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:30:33 -0800

There's a lot of great post-Sundance news out there, but this story is really making me smile: Festival founder Robert Redford has said that his next project will be an adaptation of A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson's best-selling book about an attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail. Redford plans to play Bryson, and Barry Levinson is expected to direct the film.

I'm getting a kick out of the idea of Redford as Bryson, who was an overweight, out-of-shape man edging toward a mid-life crisis when he decided to walk the trail in 1997 (that's the real Bryson up there on the right). And apparently, so is Redford, who told the Associated Press "I don't know when I've read a book that I laughed so loud."

Redford also noted that the landscape of the country will be a big part of the film as Bryson and his hiking companion, Stephen Katz, make their way along the trail. (In the book, the two men didn't finish their hike - so do you think the movie will get a Hollywood ending?)

Other than making me want to read A Walk in the Woods again, this news makes me wonder: Who's going to play Katz? Their hilarious banter is one of the best parts of the book. Any suggestions?

Source, Source, and Source

Lions for Lambs: An Interesting Debate

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:30:00 -0800

Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs is not exactly a cinematic tour de force. In fact, it could have easily been a play, or even a staged reading. Set in three places for the entirety of the movie's 88 minutes, it's low on action and high on talk. Thus, while it's not a visually interesting film, as a spirited debate about current politics, Lions for Lambs is very engaging.

One of the locales is in the office of California professor Dr. Malley who has called in one of his brightest students, Todd (Andrew Garfield) to find out why the boy went from enthusiastic debater to a slacker who's stopped participating. In their discussions Dr. Malley tells Todd about former students of his Ernest and Arian, who, inspired by Dr. Malley's class to do something meaningful with their lives, joined the military. He explains that the two were not the brightest kids and that he didn't even agree with their decision. But they risked their lives to do something important while Todd, with all his intelligence and privilege, was cutting class and slacking off. Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, a senator (Tom Cruise) reveals to a journalist (Meryl Streep) his bombshell plan of action that will directly impact Arian and Ernest's lives. Lively arguments about right and wrong ensue. Actually, with the exception of some combat scenes with Arian and Ernest, the majority of the movie is filled with argument.

For the rest of my take on Lions for Lambs, read more

This is not just a debate over the current administration's dealings in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan - what went right, what mistakes were made, etc. It's also an examination of the nature of apathy. In particular, I am intrigued by the critical eye Redford casts on young people - college-aged kids and people in their 20s who find themselves caught in an extended adolescence. The bright, youthful, idealistic and energetic members of our society who, instead of trying to do something, choose to be distracted and disaffected.

What's more, Redford never suggests all these youths join the military (in fact, his character discourages this). It isn't so much a call to arms as it is a call to heart. The performances are fine - Streep is especially compelling - but they are secondary to the issues at hand. Redford is wise and stern, and likable on screen. Cruise is smarmy and superior, employing that sneer that always reminds me of his hateful character in Magnolia. And yet, he's not totally without humanity. Whomever you sympathize at the end of this talk-heavy film, and however you feel about Redford's decision to make it, at the very least Lions for Lambs will get you thinking and maybe discussing some important stuff.

Source

Movie Preview: Lions for Lambs

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:27:03 -0800

The tag line for Robert Redford's political drama Lions for Lambs is "If you don't stand for something, you might fall for anything." Yet aside from that and the fact that Tom Cruise is making his first onscreen appearance since Mission Impossible III, what do you know about this upcoming movie?

The stories of three disparate Americans - one professor (Redford), one journalist (Meryl Streep) and one presidential hopeful (Cruise) - intertwine over the prickly subject of the war on terror. Meanwhile, two of the professor's students go off to Afghanistan in an attempt to do something important with their lives, and the professor is left with mixed feelings about their decision.

As with most movies dealing with current political issues, Lions for Lambs does not look like a particularly comfortable film to watch, though it may be very well-done. The movie opens this Friday November 9, so to watch the trailer and tell me what you think, read more

Source

Lions for Lambs Online Competition Builds Buzz, Helps Others

BuzzSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:28:08 -0700

In an effort to build buzz for the November 9 release of Lions for Lambs, starring Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, MGM is holding a YouTube/Google video competition. Through the competition, "individuals can produce a 90-second video discussing the social issue they’re most passionate about." People will then watch the videos and vote on their favorite submissions. The person whose video gets the most votes by November 9 will win $25,000 for the charity of their choice.

Variety has this quote from Amy Elkins, senior VP of theatrical marketing for MGM: “We really wanted to bring out the themes of the movie and tell a story in a relevant way. To do that, we wanted to look at the widest platform we could and build a community around the film’s message, namely ‘What do you stand for?’”

Sure, this is mostly a publicity stunt. But like Will Ferrell auctioning off a role in his next movie, at least it's an example of Hollywood-types doing something good. Click here to check out the YouTube Lions for Lambs site and upload your videos.

What would you make a video about for this contest?

What to Netflix: Barefoot in the Park

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:30:00 -0700

As you know, we've been paying a lot of attention to weddings this season on the Sugar Network. This week, we're wrapping up our coverage by talking about what happens when the honeymoon's over and the newlyweds begin their lives together.

Barefoot in the Park
As far as newlywed movies go, this one is a classic favorite. Written by Neil Simon and starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, this 1967 film follows newly married couple Paul and Corie Bratters. An age-old case of opposites attracting, Paul is a stuffy, conservative lawyer while Corie prefers to be spontaneous and carefree. In the first stages of their married life, they realize there's a lot to compromise over (and laugh about) - especially when you share a tiny New York apartment on the fifth floor of a walkup.

Tom Cruise in Lions for Lambs, Out of Germany

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:30:00 -0700

I'm finding it difficult to take Tom Cruise seriously - ever since the couch-jumping and disparaging remarks about psychiatry I've cast a wary eye on him - but the German military is taking him very seriously. Cruise's attempts to shoot his Nazi drama Valkyrie have been thwarted by the German military because Cruise is a Scientologist. According to the article:

Defense Ministry spokesman Harald Kammerbauer said the film makers "will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult."

That's the second time in recent history that Scientologist actors have come under fire for the characters they are portraying: Gay critics have lashed out at the casting of John Travolta as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, complaining that an iconic gay character such as Edna (previously played by Divine in John Waters' Hairspray) should not be played by an actor who belongs to a church believed to have homophobic views.

While Cruise and his people are duking it out with the German military, however, a few snippets from Cruise's next movie Lions for Lambs were recently aired on "Entertainment Tonight." The movie stars Meryl Streep and Robert Redford (Redford also directs), and from the clips it looks like the two actors who are not Tom Cruise are excellent as usual, while Cruise is, again, pretty hard to take seriously. To see the clips, read more

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