Super Bowl Sunday is the event of fried foods, new commercials and, oh yeah, football. But this year, for Super Bowl XLV, Hollywood is going trailer crazy. Forget one, two or evententrailers and television spots to dig through. AsVarietyreports, studios are gearing up to promote at least 13 films during the February 6 broadcast (game and pre-show). Just in case you didn't catch that:AT LEAST 13films.
Obviously, this is a record number for the business and one television event, even if it happens to be the most juicy ad night of the year -- a juicy ad night that costs an average of $3 million for 30 seconds of air time, we might add. Included in the cinematic rush are potential summer blockbusters'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,''Super 8,''Thor,''Captain America: The First Avenger,'
...hit the jump while we catch our breath...
'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,''Cowboys and Aliens,''Priest'and'Kung Fu Panda 2.'But it's not just the far-off features getting football love. The February films'The Eagle'and'Just Go With It'are in the mix, as are March's'Battle: Los Angeles,''Limitless'and'Rango.'
This might seem like a steep price to pay for a little trailer love, and Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox agree -- neither are offering up ads during the expensive time slot (which is particularly odd for Fox since they're airing the game and have 'X-Men: First Class' to promo). But wait --that's not all. Bieber Feverites -- because what goes better with the pigskin than Bieber? -- will get to see a trailer for his 3-D concert documentary,'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,'during the post-Bowl editionof 'Glee.''Take Me Home Tonight,'the party flick due out March 4, will also show its wares during the music show.
Will you be tuning in more for the game or the commercials?
пятница, 28 января 2011 г.
At Least 13 Hollywood Ads Will Air During the Super Bowl
четверг, 27 января 2011 г.
Weekend Movie Preview: 'No Strings Attached,' 'The Company Men'
The very pregnantNatalie Portmanis making the rounds these days to promote her new movie that explores the question of whether there's any such thing as consequence-free sex. Let that sink in for a moment.
New and Noteworthy
Starring:Natalie Portman,Ashton Kutcher,Cary Elwes,Kevin Kline,Greta Gerwig
Directed by:Ivan Reitman
What's It About?Portman and Kutcher play old friends who decide to have a purely sexual relationship -- no romance allowed. But of course, it's never that easy, at least not in the movies.
Why Should You See It?Portman lets her inner-'Black Swan' loose, offering the kind of raunchy, funny, grown-up performance that past roles have only hinted at. Kutcher remains a pro at light comedy. Veteran comedy director Ivan Reitman, whose work has felt sluggish in recent years, seems invigorated by these youngsters and their fresher, blunter take on romance.
You Might Like It If You Like:'Hotel Chevalier,'the 'Natalie Raps' short from 'Saturday Night Live,''Guess Who'
Video Interviews:Natalie Portman|Ashton Kutcher
Watch a Scene From the Movie and Mr. Moviefone's Six Second Review
Movie Homework:'The Way Back' may be a stirring epic about a true-life escape from a World War II prison camp, but the definitive entry in the genre is still 1963's'The Great Escape.'Also based on a true story (one that doesn't turn out quite the way you think it will -- this is not 'Hogan's Heroes'), it features a full rogue's gallery of Hollywood tough guys, some then-famous (Steve McQueen,James Garner), some soon-to-be-famous (Charles Bronson, James Coburn) teaming up to execute an elaborate jailbreak. If you've seen it, it's worth seeing again just for McQueen's legendary motorcycle jump.Buyorrent the DVD
On Our Netflix Queue:At the Golden Globes this week,Annette Beningreferred to her husband as the winner of the Globe for the most promising newcomer of 1962. She was referring toWarren Beatty'smemorable movie debut in'Splendor in the Grass,'made when his future wife was just three years old. Beatty andNatalie Woodsmoulder as two small-town teens whose romance is thwarted by the hang-ups (sexual repression, class tensions, greed and other hypocrisies) of their virtuous elders. Watch this movie, and you'll see why the Globe voters thought this kid was going places.Buyorrent the DVD
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.
вторник, 25 января 2011 г.
2011 GLAAD Award Nominees Include 'The Kids Are All Right,' 'Easy A' and 'Burlesque'
What do sexy singin' ladies, scarlet letters, warriors against misogyny, sperm donors and a war against evil exes have in commom, especially when they're mixed with howling poetry, prison love, barrio living, mis-placed commas and secret, Peruvian lovers? These are the cinematic contenders for this year's GLAAD awards.
For the 22nd year, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has narrowed down their awards contenders, the creations and characterizations that uphold"fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation."The accolades cover just about every corner of media you can expect -- not only film and television, but also areas like magazines, news segments, threater and comics.
GLADD's film awards are separated into three categories -- wide releases, limited releases and documentaries. If you weren't able to parse the clues above for the feature releases,'Burlesque,''Easy A,''The Girl Who Played with Fire,''The Kids are All Right'and'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World'fill in the wide release spectrum, while'Howl,''I Love You Phillip Morris,''La Mission,''Patrik, 1.5'and'Undertow'fill the limited release options.
In the documentary world, GLAAD dug'Prodigal Sons,'the story of a transgender woman and her adopted brother, who happens to be Orson Welles' grandson,'8: The Mormon Proposition'about how the LDS folks helped promote and pass Prop 8,'Edie& Thea: A Very Long Engagement'about two women who had to wait 42 years to get married,'Sylvester, UnSung'about disco diva Sylvester and'Out: The Glenn Burke Story,'about '70s Dodgers player.
Outside of film, it's no surprise to see 'Glee' front and center for television and as a belated birthday gift, Buffy Summers gets some love under Outstanding Comic Book.
HitThe Hollywood Reporterfor GLADD's full list of nominees. The awards ceremony will take place over three months in three cities: March 19 in New York, April 16 in Los Angeles and May 14 in San Francisco.
понедельник, 24 января 2011 г.
Framed: Road to Perdition
A Depression-era mob enforcer and his son are on the run. The boy witnessed a brutal killing carried out by his father and his partner, and now a hit has been put out on their lives. While the two flee for safety, they simultaneously seek revenge for the slaying of their family and begin to acclimate to the nuances of their own distant relationship.
WatchingSam Mendes'2002 Academy Award-winning film,'Road to Perdition,'on Blu-ray reminds me why this technology was invented. CinematographerConrad L. Hall'scompositions are stunningly brought to life and the movie's Super 35 format translates an authentic filmic grain. Hall's work is technically precise -- loaded with details that are illuminated by the most basic of elements: light, shadow, skin tone, atmosphere.
And what is it about that rain that never seems to end? Next to Hall's muted, minimal palette -- which adds a coldness and sorrowful dimension to the movie -- the rain is unrelenting and violent. Mendeshas statedthat the theme of water speaks to the"uncontrollability of fate"and that"the soul of the movie is expressed in the exteriors."If the soul hangs along the outside, then the mind is revealed in Hall's interior spaces. 'Road to Perdition's' sets were built inside the mammoth Chicago Armory, giving the cinematographer complete control over the elaborately constructed lighting. The correlation between houses -- places of identity -- and the mind is something people often talk about regarding dreams. Given 'Perdition's' mythic leanings and graphic novel origin it seems only fitting to view these spaces in such a light.
{spoilers ahead}
Pictorially, there's another graphic novel element in this week's frame. The composition is broken into multiple other vertical frames, recalling a panel-type layout (some shots were actually pulled directly from the comic). Hall's atmospheric lighting and less is more methodology is at play here, along with a one point depth of field focus that Hall uses throughout the film. All this worked to create what the cinematographer described as"soft noir"-- something that feels intuitive, naturalistic and is nicely balanced with the high contrast, chiaroscuro visuals that are more typical of the time period.
Mendes wanted to carry that naturalistic sensibility throughout the interior spaces, which Hall achieved by something he calls"room tone."He explains,"Room tone is the light that results from light bouncing off of walls, ceilings and floors. It gives a sense of presence to what I don't want to see."What you often don't see are the cliche flourishes of Depression-era style. That sentiment is reserved for the moody internal narrative, while the visuals remain more realistic and less theatrical or stylized. Hall confirmed that sentiment stating,"The thing that makes this picture work so well is a kind of honesty ... There is no blue moonlight, no green vistas, none of that kind of stuff. The film has very carefully crafted compositions, it's meticulously cut, and it's paced very gently and slowly - all of which is good for the story."
Mendes and Hall looked at the paintings of American realist Edward Hopper for reference when constructing their shots, lighting, and to help capture the emotional pitch of a scene (I think there's a lot ofBo Bartlett-- and maybe someAndrew Wyeth-- here too). Camera operatorP. Scott Sakamotoexplains the camera's role in this,"We did a lot of tableau shots, wide shots that let the actors move within the frame, and we didn't move the camera much. Sam lets his actors tell the story within the frame."
Hopper's 'New York Movie'was a particularly big influence on the filmmaker, which guided him when it came to allowing space around the characters, stressing the importance of where your eye travels in a frame, as well as emphasizing what's off camera."In New York Movie, which shows an usherette standing at the side of a cinema, the lighting of the scene is absolutely the source of its poetry,"Mendes said."The fact that her face is partially obscured creates a sense of loneliness and desolation. You begin to invent your own story from the imagination {depicted} in the world of the painting."
This is all felt in our frame, which shows a despondent Michael Sullivan, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) waiting for his father (Tom Hanks) to return from murdering his family's killer. In the beginning of the film, Mendes shot Sullivan, Sr. at a distance, fragmented, or through door frames to emphasize a disconnect in the father/son relationship. That role seems reversed here. We're left to fill in the blanks of the boy's thoughts and feelings that are created by this distance. Mendes explains,"Sometimes you know more about emotional states of characters if you can't see their eyes. That's quite a dangerous thing to say when you're dealing with actors who are speaking all the time, but people can underestimate the emotional articulation of a shot that isn't a close-up."
'Road to Perdition' is an impeccable visual feat that demonstrates how color, light and framing can create powerful, emotional imagery. Many of Mendes and Hall's techniques are simple (or made to look so) and quiet, but that doesn't deter from their impact.
воскресенье, 23 января 2011 г.
'Black Panther' Movie Back On the Prowl at Marvel
Widely accepted as the mainstream's first black superhero, Black Panther (aka Prince T'Challa) has had a tough time making it to the movie screens, but according toThe Hollywood Reporter, there seems to be some new blood and some fresh progress on the project.
Wesley Snipes was"attached"to theop character for a good, long time but that incarnation of 'Black Panther' now seems to be a distant memory. (Plus Wesley already got his own superhero trilogy; I say give this one to Idris Elba or Chiwetel Ejiofor.) But it's a bit too early to be playing the casting game; Marvel doesn't have a director just yet, although they have hired one Mark Bailey to start working on the screenplay.
As THR points out, Mr. Bailey is known mainly for HBO documentary work, but clearly he pitched something that appealed to the Marvel men (and women) because the Black Panther is definitely stirring again.
More news on Stan Lee's inevitable 'Black Panther' cameo when it becomes available. We know turn you over to our ownJohn Gholson, who will no doubt have at least 700 words to offer about how awesome Black Panther is.
суббота, 22 января 2011 г.
2011 Romantic Comedies Preview: 10 Couples Who Will Hook Up This Year
The unlikely star pairing ofNatalie PortmanandAshton Kutcherin'No Strings Attached'(which opens today), is just the first of this year's several high-profile onscreen hookups that, whether they sizzle or fizzle, will make for some excellent photo ops.
Before the year is out, we'll see ifJennifer Anistonis funnier oppositeAdam SandlerorPaul Ruddand whetherMila KunisandJustin Timberlakeshould have just stayed friends in'Friends With Benefits.'Not to mention the first look at real-life loversRachel McAdamsandMichael Sheenin Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris.'
Which celebrity pairings are you most looking forward to in 2011?
She's incredibly short; he's ridiculously tall. She's about to get her second Oscar nomination; he's more known for his Twittering than his acting these days. Since she's usually on a different playing field than he is, why can't a serious actress have a little fun now and then? Critics have given the movie a rotten 55 rating atRotten Tomatoes(hey, that's a career high for Kutcher!), but like the pairing."Portman and Kutcher really are sexy together,"says theBoston Globe. Let's just hope he doesn't prove her 'Norbit'-like undoing on Oscar night.
Surely Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston have starred together as pretend man and wife before? No, it only seems that way because she's supported nearly every other comedian in town. In their first film together, she plays his assistant, who agrees to pretend to be his wife so that he can hook a hottie. It's all very complicated: He lies to women, saying that he's married to avoid commitment, but now his girlfriend wants to meet his imaginary wife. Sounds a lot like'Cactus Flower'to us, where the odd pairing of Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman was part of the comedy. Will a Sandiston romcom be a match made in heaven or a forgettable flop?
Either you're horrified that bad boy comedian Russell Brand is taking over Dudley Moore's iconic role, or you're toasting the powers that be for such a spot-on casting. The drunken millionaire is a role that seems tailor-made for the 'Get Him to the Greek' star. He's paired here with the up-and-coming Gerwig (who charmed as the object of Ben Stiller's affection in 'Greenberg') in the kooky Liza Minnelli shoplifter role. Brand being Brand, we also expect him to put some moves on Helen Mirren, who takes over the role of exasperated Arthur-sitter originally played by John Gielgud.
An intriguing pairing and an interesting concept: Two college grads spend the night together; we then check in with them that same day over the next several years to see if they're together or apart. If Sturgess and Hathaway have half the amount of chemistry he had in 'Across the Universe' with Evan Rachel Wood, all should be well. The film, incidentally, is from Lone Scherfig, director of 'An Education,' the Oscar-nominated movie that also earned a nod for Carey Mulligan.
How could a lovable schlub like James ever end up with a hottie like Dawson? Well, he did okay with Amber Valletta in 'Hitch.' (Or so we assume. That's one we missed.) But yes, Dawson here is (very understandably) the girl of zookeeper James's dreams. Since the movies have their own love affair with beauty-and-the-geek-pairings, we expect she'll come around to his charms by the time the credits roll. And hey, there's talking animals!
Kunis and Timberlake are each finally getting some filmic respect based on their acclaimed supporting turns in, respectively, Oscar-bait films 'Black Swan' and 'The Social Network.' So why not follow that up with a romantic comedy? Regardless, if this plays out like a rerun of 'No Strings Attached' (or dozens of other similarly plotted flicks), we can't wait to see two of the hottest stars flirting and sparring with each other. (And of course, making out.) Have the real-life romance rumors started already?
Speaking of real-life romance, many celeb spotters were astonished to hear that McAdams had moved on from her 'Notebook' costar Ryan Gosling to the much older Sheen. Personally, we weren'tthatsurprised. We found him very charming in 'Frost/Nixon' and 'The Queen' and rather sexy in those 'Underworld' films. And he did used to be with Kate Beckinsale. Given the usual secrecy surrounding Woody Allen's latest, it's not clear if McAdams and Sheen play a couple in the film, but even if they don't, their hook-up is probably the best publicity he could hope for.
Chris Evans makes an extremely hot ex-boyfriend, like in the little-seen 'London,' with then-girlfriend Jessica Biel, and as one of Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Seven Evil Exes in 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.' Here, he plays one of Anna Faris's 19 former beaus; since she's set her lifetime limit at 20, she decides to revisit all the guys she's ever known to see who's"The One."Whether or not she ends up with Evans at the fadeout, we're looking forward to her brand of funny with his brand of hot and a little bit of vice versa.
Aniston and Rudd have starred together before, but she was pregnant with another man's baby and he was gay, so that didn't exactly work out. In 'Wanderlust,' they finally play a couple, specifically, New Yorkers whose financial straits prompt them to move into a hippie commune. (Cue orgies! Toplessness! And pot!) We can't think of a time when Rudd didn't make us laugh and this Judd Apatow-produced pic could be just the film that'll finally return Aniston to her 'Friends-era stride. Even if it's not the be-all and end-all of romantic comedies, this is one pairing we're excited about. (Then again, we were kind of excited for 'The Switch.')
Torn between 'Inception' hunk Tom Hardy and out-of-this-world hot Chris Pine? What's a girl to do? While Witherspoon isn't exactly the type we'd picture snaring two globe-trotting spies, we're more than willing to pull up a chair and watch as they battle it out for her affections. And we're going to make a bold prediction: She'll end up with Pine. Why? Because A.) he's the bigger star and B.) he's American and Americans usually get the girl in American movies. But don't rule out Hardy:These picsof him and Witherspoon goofing around on set seem to prove they've got great chemistry.
Related Links:
2011 Movies Preview: 75 Films We Can't Wait to See
пятница, 21 января 2011 г.
Cinematical Seven: How Movies Taught Us to Deal with the Depression
If you utter the words downsizing or restructuring in today's climate, you're bound to send someone around you reeling. Even though our cruddy economy made it harder to green light new films, it actually drove theater sales -- thanks in part to 3D being so expensive. A little escapism to help us forget that times are tough never hurt anyone, however, cinema that actually delves into the anxiety of rough socioeconomic times often has valuable lessons to share. For the six-figure suits who get laid off in'The Company Men'-- which hits theaters this Friday (check outErik's review) -- it's about finding your footing when the private jets and VIP country club memberships go bye-bye, and starting from square one. Other movies have taught us how to deal with the despair, poverty, and strife of the depression (past and present). Find out how they can help you tackle these trying times, after the jump (possible spoilers ahead).
Get mad as hell.
Catharsis!'Network's'Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is a veteran anchor for the UBS Evening News, but the network has struggled with poor ratings and is doomed to go off the air. Beale doesn't take kindly to this. He admits on live television that since the show is the only thing he had going for him, he plans on killing himself in a week's time. Before he can blink, he's immediately fired and then rehired where in lieu of an apology, he makes a rant for the ages about being"mad as hell."When life has taken a dump on your head and you don't know which way to turn, follow Beale's advice and just allow yourself to be angry first.
Michael Douglas' D-FENS did it in 'Falling Down,'when he raged on about a hamburger...
Sing, because that's what everyone else seems to do.
Orphans sing about their struggles in'Annie,'the Soggy Bottom Boys belt it out in'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'and Al Jolson croons about being a tramp in'Hallelujah, I'm a Bum.'These are just a few of the films that have carried a tune about the sorrows of the Depression-era days. Talkin' 'bout being broke, going hungry and living on the streets sounds better when told during a song and dance number. Tell that to your boss before he lays you off.
When life gets complicated, distract yourself with love ... and bank robberies.
Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) in'Bonnie and Clyde'(duh) may have been living a couple of miserable, small-town lives in the midst of the Great Depression, but love on the run caught on quick. Stickups and crime sprees shifted their relationship into high gear, until the couple were forced to part in a hail of bullets. Before they met their gruesome end, Bonnie wrote a poem about Clyde so people would always remember him. Clyde made sure to let Bonnie know she was"somethin' better than bein' a waitress."That's love.
Have faith that the good guys don't always finish last.
When The Bobs infiltrate the lives of a group of software engineers and start cutting expenses -- and people -- everyone in'Office Space'handles the bad news differently. Peter undergoes hypnotherapy. Michael and Samir hack the accounting system. And then there's Milton. He's consistently forgotten (the man was laid off from his job years ago, but was never actually told), ignored and relegated to second-class citizen status after having his office moved to the basement with the cockroaches. Milton decides to turn things around for himself by burning the office down and makes off with the company's cash to Mexico. Not too shabby for a Swingline stapler weirdo.
Meanwhile in the dystopian depression universe,'RoboCop's'Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) is a total corporate scumbag who gets his comeuppance when the good guy cyborg, otherwise known as RoboCop (Peter Weller), blasts him out the window of the Omni Consumer Products boardroom. When Jones' murderous scheme is uncovered he tries to kill the Old Man who runs OCP, but you can't keep a good robot down.
Consider all your options.
Sometimes you have to be a little ... creative about where your next paycheck is coming from. Chaney (Charles Bronson) in'Hard Times'gets that, and drifts through the Great Depression on a freight train, eventually making some dough as a street fighter. Even though he gets involved with a"manager,"Speed (James Coburn), who gambles his winnings away, Chaney -- the strong, silent type -- knuckles down to make things right before moving on. Chaney's not above beating the daylights out of a guy named Street (Nick Dimitri) to earn a few bucks when the chips are down.
Neither is boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) in'Cinderella Man'who fights for food and his family during the Depression. He has a bum hand but never gives up -- delivering the blows necessary (in the ring and as a laborer) to fight against the odds and come out a winner.
Hope that Clarence was right.
'It's a Wonderful Life'was released after the Depression, but the sting of failing banks, the anxiety of unemployment and lack of affordable housing was still fresh in the public's mind. You catch a whiff of these problems in Capra's movie. George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is a decent, hard-working man who blunders a bank deposit and tries to kill himself in the aftermath of his screw up. An angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) shows up who turns out to be George's heavenly guardian. He's like God's Jack Handey and reveals to George that his life is worth living by giving him a glimpse of what the world would be like without him in it. In the end, George lives and the town comes to his aid. Clarence leaves him with a few words of wisdom:"Remember no man is a failure who has friends."Fingers crossed, dude.
Go to the movies.
And we're back to square one. Movies are a great escape when the going gets tough. They also won't make your butt spread like a WoW bender or a tub of Ben& Jerry's. It's a chance to sit in the dark for two hours (sometimes longer -- thanks James Cameron!) and forget everything going on in your terrible, horrible world. Cecilia (Mia Farrow) has a serious movie habit in Woody Allen's'The Purple Rose of Cairo.'Her job sucks, her marriage sucks, and she lives in New Jersey during the Great Depression. When a film character (Jeff Daniels) pops out of the screen, Cecilia embarks on a love affair with him while also getting caught up with"real life"actor, Gil (also Jeff Daniels). Cecilia eventually ends up alone (or at least going back to her unhappy marriage), but the film closes with her losing herself in another movie.