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Interview: Judd Apatow (Part One)
Filed under: Universal, Fandom, Home Entertainment, Interviews
Funny People was the latest in Judd Apatow's ongoing series of summer comedies, but it was anything but a typical summer comedy: following a successful comedian (played by Apatow's longtime friend Adam Sandler) who reflects on his life after discovering he's going to die, the film offered lots of humor but with decidedly heavier themes lurking beneath the yuks. The film debuts on Blu-ray in a 2-Disc Collector's Edition next week, and the contents are amazing, showing how Apatow combined lighthearted fare with more serious ideas in the service of exploring something substantive.
Cinematical was lucky enough to catch up with Apatow via telephone one recent morning to discuss the process of putting together the film's home video iteration. In addition to discussing the bonus materials, extras, featurettes, and a documentary that's the most thorough and thoughtful ever produced about a comedy production, Apatow talked about finding the right ending for his magnum opus, discovering and deconstructing the process of producing laughs, and front-loading the film's universe with outside content about the supporting characters.
Cinematical: One of the ideas highlighted in the Blu-ray bonus materials was the fact that you knew this was going in a different direction than your previous films. Even knowing that while you were making it, were you surprised by the reactions of audiences and critics when it was released? Or does it matter?
Carl Rinsch to Direct Keanu in the Samurai Film '47 Ronin'
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Universal
Carl Rinsch is a name perhaps best known to those in the advertisement world, but the commercial director has been poised to break into the feature film world for some time now. His name had been attached to direct Fox's reboot/prequel to Ridley Scott's Alien, until it became apparent that Scott wanted to direct as well as produce. All is not lost, however, as now Rinsch has been tapped to turn Keanu Reeves into a Samurai in 47 Ronin.The project is being set up at Universal with a script from Chris Morgan, who has been earning the studio hand over fist lately with his scripts for the last two Fast & Furious movies as well as Wanted. Currently the immortal Keanu Reeves is the only actor attached to the project, meaning he's most likely to command the presumably effects-heavy film, something Reeves hasn't really done since 2005's Constantine. It's unclear precisely who he'll be playing in the story, but The Hollywood Reporter explains the script "centers on a group of 18th century samurai who set out to avenge the death of their master."
Aside from the above, details are rather vague, as always, in these early stages, but in my experience, samurai make everything better, so news on 47 Ronin is worth keeping an eye out for on their focal inclusion alone. Plus, it's nice to see Rinsch have a firm project to be attached to. You may not recognize his name, but you've probably seen a few of his commercials. His most visible job was probably creating the robotic Heineken keg commercial, but his most impressive is a brilliant Evolution of Technology spot. Check them both out below (plus another of his); and believe me, you'll want to see the Evolution of Tech one, it's a stunner.
Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris to Share 'TMI'
Filed under: Comedy, Romance, Casting, Deals, Universal, Scripts
There's something to be said for those plain old reliable comedies, those that don't bust guts or break records but are always good for a spin in their inevitable cable circulation, stuff along the lines of Role Models, I Love You, Man and Just Friends. That last one has proven particularly endearing (to me anyway) due to the priceless pairing of Ryan Reynolds' perfect snark with Anna Faris' endearing ditziness (they also went at each other in Waiting..., to much amusement).It's that combination that gives me reason enough for me to care about TMI, an all-too-honest rom-com reuniting these two. Hell, their teaming is itself enough for me to hope that they can do right by a screenplay written by the minds behind Serendipity and The Ugly Truth; after all, Faris did bring all the funny to co-writer Kirsten Smith's The House Bunny.
Not sure how much else there is to say, really. It's like hearing that someone's about to get your sexy, funny peanut butter in your sexy, funny chocolate... all over again.
Discuss: When Movie Marketing Crosses the Line
Filed under: Universal, Fandom, Exhibition, Movie Marketing
A quiet storm has been brewing on the Internet over the ethics of spoilers, all in response to The Fourth Kind. It started when Cole Abaius at Film School Rejects took arms against the myriad of bloggers, critics, and tweeters who had been relishing in discussing the veracity of Universal's new alien abduction movie. His post was in part a reaction to a new column started at SciFi Squad that addresses the actual science behind science fiction, which is a perfect podium for an article titled What's The Real Truth Behind The Fourth Kind?Long story short, Cole feels that to address the claims of the movie (whether or not it is indeed "based on real events") is to spoil the director's vision of how the movie should be seen, and even though you're not spoiling anything that happens during the film's run time, you're ruining the experience. Obviously I disagree. I think there are people who actively want to know whether or not its documentary footage is actual footage or the flights of fancy of screenwriters and producers. It's a fine line to walk, that's for sure, but ultimately the question is whether or not such discussion undermines the suspension of disbelief the director clearly intended to be there. It's an issue Cole and I have been going back on forth on for a few days, but now there's a twist involved, proving even further that the situation surrounding The Fourth Kind is quite unique.
Universal just settled a lawsuit filed against the studio by the Alaska Press Club for the news stories The Fourth Kind PR department manufactured under the guise of being legitimate news articles from the Alaskan Press. So the question I present to you is, are fake news stories crossing the line?
Blu-ray Review: Funny People
Filed under: Universal, DVD Reviews, Home Entertainment
These days it's common practice for filmmakers to document every single aspect of a movie's creation for its eventual home video release – examining previsualization, creature development, fight choreography, set and costume design, effects rendering, and so on. When you're making a comedy, however, there seems to be less of interest in the different aspects of production (not the least of which because many of those above aren't even a factor), leaving only outtakes, gaffes, and alternate line readings to fill out the bonus features for a forthcoming Blu-ray or DVD.
Judd Apatow's Blu-ray for Funny People, however, runs contrary to expectations; indeed, it's by far the most complete and comprehensive portrait of a comedy production ever assembled. Featuring not only the requisite slate of alternate takes, film flubs, and extra scenes, but two different versions of the film, multiple featurettes, archive footage, and a feature-length documentary about the film's origins, development and production, the two-disc set takes the art of being funny very seriously.
'American Pie' Keeps On Going With the Trailer for 'The Book of Love'
Filed under: Comedy, Universal, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips
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I know the demographic who watches all of the American Pie Presents films is quite narrow, but when I came across the trailer for American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, I had to step back and give them a bit of a golf clap. Who would have ever thought that a little high school sex comedy from 1999 would go on to spawn two theatrical sequels and four straight-to-video titles? Were there any among us who saw Jason Biggs get intimate with an apple pie and thought, "My God, there needs to be seven of these movies"?Yet here we are with the trailer for The Book of Love, the seventh entrant to the canon of Pie. And in case you're not a die hard fan of the last three films, they were a trip to Band Camp, a lap running The Naked Mile, and a Beta House whose crowning accomplishment was playing a game of rugby against some aggressive midgets. While the makers of those all found various tie-ins to the original films, mainly through the lineage of Stiffler, the biggest thread tying the franchise together has been Eugene Levy, and Book of Love shows no intention of letting him out of his seemingly eternal contract as Jim's Dad.
This time around, the male populace of East Great Falls High have once again stumbled upon the Bible hidden in the school's library, which you'll recall is the sex guide Casey Affleck gifted to the gentlemen of the first film. Only the book gets ruined in a freak accident, causing the amorous youngsters to track down the Bible's original creator in an attempt to recreate all of the sexual secrets contained therein.
Note: as should be expected from a sex comedy, the following trailer is not work place friendly:
Exclusive: 'The Wolfman' Poster Premiere!
Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Universal, Fandom, Posters
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Click image below to view full poster
Cinematical has just received this exclusive new poster for The Wolfman, due in theaters February 12, 2010. As you can tell from above, this latest bit of marketing for the Joe Johnston directed resurrection of Universal's classic shows off the gentler side of the moon-fearing creature feature. It's a simple image of Emily Blunt, who plays Benicio del Toro's romantic interest in the film, hiding with baited breath behind a tree in the mist-filled forest from del Toro's titular man cursed with an ancient affliction.
What works so great about the poster, other than the fact that Emily Blunt is always easy on the eyes (and even easier on the eyes when in a corset), is how it denies us a glimpse of the actual lycanthrope at the center of the movie. I find it a testament to how fantastic the character of the wolfman is that no amount of beauty is going to distract us from wanting to catch a look at the doomed soul who loses control of himself whenever the moon is full.
In addition to this poster, Ain't It Cool News has debuted a second Wolfman poster a little later on today, so make sure to hop on over there to catch another insight into the mystical, Victorian world brought to life by the likes of Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, and Anthony Hopkins. After that, you may return to staring at the wonderful Emily Blunt, longing for February 12th to somehow get here sooner.
Check out the latest Wolfman trailer after the jump, and view the full poster by clicking the image below.
Gallery: 'The Wolfman' Poster
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Bradley Cooper Gains Superpowers In 'Dark Fields'
Filed under: Action, Drama, Thrillers, Casting, Universal, Newsstand
The future Faceman may have lost the chance to fly as the Emerald Knight, but DC isn't the only place you can gain superpowers. You can also score them from top secret pharmaceuticals! (Don't try this at home, kids.) According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bradley Cooper is set to star in Dark Fields, a thriller directed by Neil Burger and based on the book by Alan Glynn. Cooper will play a writer down on his luck who manages to get his poor paws on a secret drug that promises to make one smarter. He doesn't go ask Alice before popping them, and finds that it's a wonder drug. He enjoys writing success, wealth and women until the side effects kick in. They're long lasting, potentially lethal, and have the extra kick of making time appear as a stop-motion movie. As if that doesn't suck enough, mysterious and unpleasant men begin pursuing him. Do they look like Shia LaBeouf, who was originally set to star? Hopefully not.
The screenplay was penned by Leslie Dixon, and is said to be similar to Fight Club and The Game, which might be a big spoiler as to the nature of those mysterious antagonists, which is why you shouldn't think about it too much. There's no start date, but hopefully he has no time between The A-Team and Dark Fields to squish in another frightening romantic comedy.
Review: The Fourth Kind
Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Universal, Theatrical Reviews
By Todd Gilchrist (reprint from 10/28/09 -- L.A. Screamfest)
I'm not sure exactly what quality it is that real people possess and actors lack, but any time a film pretends to document real behavior, either literally or as a reenactment, something is almost always missing. Sometimes the problem is a deliberate decision to enhance events with artificial emphasis or drama, and sometimes it's simply too great a sense of self-awareness in the actor, who knows he or she is performing. But while there are a precious few movies that nail that authenticity, notably the recent underdog-blockbuster Paranormal Activity, such is certainly the case in The Fourth Kind, a film that purports to build an argument for alien abductions using "actual" footage from case studies.
While much of the movie's so-called source material carries the convincing roughness and deficiencies of homemade, handheld recording, too much of it seems far too calculated, both in its technical proficiency and the performances contributed by its "real" people. Further, its accompanying reenactments by recognizable actors undermine the possibility that audiences can take its case seriously, all of which adds up to thriller that unravels easily even if it nevertheless occasionally qualifies as a scary good time.
Screamfest Review: The Fourth Kind
Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Universal, Theatrical Reviews, Other Festivals
I'm not sure exactly what quality it is that real people possess and actors lack, but any time a film pretends to document real behavior, either literally or as a reenactment, something is almost always missing. Sometimes the problem is a deliberate decision to enhance events with artificial emphasis or drama, and sometimes it's simply too great a sense of self-awareness in the actor, who knows he or she is performing. But while there are a precious few movies that nail that authenticity, notably the recent underdog-blockbuster Paranormal Activity, such is certainly the case in The Fourth Kind, a film that purports to build an argument for alien abductions using "actual" footage from case studies.
While much of the movie's so-called source material carries the convincing roughness and deficiencies of homemade, handheld recording, too much of it seems far too calculated, both in its technical proficiency and the performances contributed by its "real" people. Further, its accompanying reenactments by recognizable actors undermine the possibility that audiences can take its case seriously, all of which adds up to thriller that unravels easily even if it nevertheless occasionally qualifies as a scary good time.
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'New Moon' Smashes 'Dark Knight's' Opening Day Record!
Black Friday Movie Deals: Best Buy
Sex and Nudity Don't Draw You to the Movies?
What Makes a Real Vampire?
Robert Downey Jr. Wants to Retire?
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