Cinematical http://www.cinematical.com Cinematical http://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gif Cinematical http://www.cinematical.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Indie Winners: 'Rachel Getting Married,' 'Duchess,' and Sex Still Sellshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/indie-winners-rachel-getting-married-duchess-and-sex-stil/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/indie-winners-rachel-getting-married-duchess-and-sex-stil/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/indie-winners-rachel-getting-married-duchess-and-sex-stil/#commentsAnne Hathaway in Rachel Getting MarriedWinners
Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Duchess (Paramount Vantage)
Fireproof (Samuel Goldwyn)

Riding a wave of positive buzz and the rising stardom of Anne Hathaway, Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married crushed all comers, earning $33,667 per screen at nine theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto, according to estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo. Hathaway appeared everywhere to promote it, even gamely spoofing herself as host on Saturday Night Live. (Loved her as Mary Poppins!)

Too much attention may be paid to Keira Knightley's ribs, but she was undoubtedly the reason that The Duchess made $7,047 per screen as it expanded to 127 locations in its third week. Keira and costume dramas seem to be the right fit; I wouldn't be surprised if this one drew an older audience that consistently attends British historical flicks.

Still ignored by the mainstream press (in contrast to Bill Maher's Religulous), faith-based Fireproof dropped just 40.5% (about the same as Eagle Eye) and took in $4,776 per screen at 852 theaters in its second week. So far the film has grossed more than $12 million. Was it ever advertised on TV? Or was the marketing done entirely through church groups? Whatever the case, with a reported budget of only half a million dollars, Fireproof appears to be a healthy success story.

Sex Still Sells
Elegy (Samuel Goldwyn)
Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics)

Elegy, the 'old professor in love with a younger woman' adaptation of a Philip Roth novel starring Ben Kingsley and a sometimes naked Penelope Cruz, is in its ninth week of release and still playing in 70 theaters. The theater count is dropping, but the film has grossed more than $3.3 million.

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]]>ben kingsleyBenKingsleyElegyfireprooffrozen riverFrozenRiverjonathan demmeJonathanDemmekeira knightleyKeiraKnightleypenelope cruzPenelopeCruzrachel getting marriedRachelGettingMarriedthe duchessTheDuchessPeter MartinMon, 06 Oct 2008 18:02:00 ESTGuillermo del Toro Talks About 'Hobbit', 'Frankenstein'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/guillermo-del-toro-talks-about-hobbit-frankenstein/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/guillermo-del-toro-talks-about-hobbit-frankenstein/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/guillermo-del-toro-talks-about-hobbit-frankenstein/#commentsThe reason everyone loves Guillermo del Toro can, I think, be summed up in this new Hobbit related quote. "Believe me, I am jumping up-and-down inside this fat body!"

Yes, del Toro teased us all with Hobbit talk when he appeared at the Director's Guild of America recently and spilled all kinds of information regarding Middle Earth and his adaptation of Frankenstein. ComingSoon has the whole delicious thing, but I'll post my favorite bit -- his research into the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien: "I find you have to discipline yourself to write in the morning, and then watch and read in the afternoons stuff that seems relevant, even in a tangential way. For example, reading or watching World War I documentaries or books that I think inform The Hobbit, strangely enough, because I believe it is a book born out of Tolkien's generation's experience with World War I and the disappointment of being in that field and seeing all those values kind of collapse. I think it's a turning point that you need to familiarize yourself with."

And naturally, he sounds most excited about tackling Smaug. "Essentially, Smaug represents so many things: greed, pride ... he's 'the Magnificent,' after all. The way his shadow is cast in the narrative you cannot then show it and have it be one thing, he has to be the embodiment of all those things. He's one of the few dragons that will have enormous scenes with lines. He has some of the most beautiful dialogues in those scenes! The design, I'm pretty sure that will be the last design we will sign off on, and the first design we have attempted. It is certainly a matter of turning every stone before figuring out what he looks like, because what he looks like will tell you what he is."


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]]>Frankensteinguillermo del toroGuillermoDelToroj.r.r. tolkienJ.r.r.TolkienPeter JacksonPeterJacksonThe HobbitTheHobbitElisabeth RappeMon, 06 Oct 2008 17:02:00 ESTWatch This: 'Take On Me' (Literal Version)http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/watch-this-take-on-me-literal-version/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/watch-this-take-on-me-literal-version/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/watch-this-take-on-me-literal-version/#comments

As the description on You Tube reads: "Ever wish songs just sang what was happening in the music video? Well now they do." Indeed ... someone edited one of our favorite music videos of all time to include a whole new set of lyrics that sing about what's actually going on in the video. The song and video in question is A-ha's Take On Me, which has been spoofed before (see this bit from Family Guy). Sure, it's not directly related to a movie, but it's damn funny to watch and might just help you through the remainder of the work day. Enjoy!

[via Justin via Twitter]

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]]>Cinematical staffMon, 06 Oct 2008 16:10:00 ESTExclusive: 'Special' Poster Premiere!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/exclusive-special-poster-premiere/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/exclusive-special-poster-premiere/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/exclusive-special-poster-premiere/#comments
Click image above to enlarge

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for the film Special, starring Michael Rapaport as a lonely meter maid who has a psychotic reaction to his medication and becomes convinced he's some sort of superhero. Back when Cinematical's Jette Kernion reviewed Special at the Austin Film Festival, she called it "different" and "attention-grabbing" -- adding that "Rapaport is riveting to watch as Les, as he transforms from a mild-mannered, easily duped meter maid to a self-identified superhero determined to help fight crime, and even further to his final state at the movie's climax."

As we told you last week, Special is part of Magnet's Six-Shooter Series, featuring six of the more talked-about genre flicks from the past year or so (Let the Right One In, Timecrimes, Donkey Punch, Eden Log, Big Man Japan) -- all of which are heading our way courtesy of Magnet Releasing. Special will hit theaters on November 21, but will be available On Demand beginning November 7.

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]]>cinematicalfeaturedmagnet releasingMagnetReleasingmichael rapaportMichaelRapaportspecial movie posterSpecialMoviePosterErik DavisMon, 06 Oct 2008 15:40:00 ESTIt's Official: After Dark Horrorfest is Moving Up in the Worldhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/its-official-after-dark-horrorfest-is-moving-up-in-the-world/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/its-official-after-dark-horrorfest-is-moving-up-in-the-world/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/its-official-after-dark-horrorfest-is-moving-up-in-the-world/#commentsSince they like to release eight indie-style or foreign horror films on one specific day each year, I'm always a little bit fascinated by the latest goings-on at After Dark. The fact that I don't actually like the majority of their films is sort of beside the point. Being a hardcore fan gives you the right to be critical, of course, but it also means you should always give a new flick a fair break. And the AD gang has given us access to some half-decent titles, and so I opt to focus on the good (Borderland, The Gravedancers, Frontier(s)) instead of the bad -- which is just about everything else. Although your mileage may vary.

And even though the next infusion of After Darkness won't arrive until January, I'm happy to note that they're putting together a rather solid slate. They'd already snagged a cool British chiller called The Broken (which I saw at Sundance ... and enjoyed) and a low-key occult thriller called From Within (which I saw at Tribeca ... and didn't), but now comes word on two new additions: The first one is also a Tribeca title, and it's an Aussie horror tale called Dying Breed. (Here's my review. I nagged Tim to play it at Fantastic Fest, but it ended up in the "very close but no cigar" bin.) The second is an American flick called Autopsy, which comes from screenwriter / first-time director Adam Gierasch (Toolbox Murders, Mother of Tears), and while I haven't seen this one yet, I've heard some quiet-yet-positive rumblings from my sources in the L.A. horror-geek scene.

The Broken, From Within, Dying Breed, and Autopsy will join Slaughter (aka Faithless), Perkins' 14, and The Butterfly Effect: Revelation when After Dark kick-starts on January 9. The eighth title has yet to be announced. Could it be this movie?

[Thanks to BD.com]

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]]>after darkAfterDarkautopsybutterfly effect revelationButterflyEffectRevelationdying breedDyingBreedfrom withinFromWithinperkins 14Perkins14slaughterthe brokenTheBrokenScott WeinbergMon, 06 Oct 2008 15:02:00 ESTFan Made: Tasty Life-Size Yoda Cakehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/fan-made-tasty-life-size-yoda-cake/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/fan-made-tasty-life-size-yoda-cake/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/fan-made-tasty-life-size-yoda-cake/#comments

When Cinematical reader Geoff M. sent us a note about a life-size Yoda cake he created for his son's fourth birthday, we simply had to see it because a) any dad who's down for a Star Wars-themed birthday party certainly meets movie geek standards, and b) any dad who'd actually take on the task of building a life-size Yoda cake for his kid is all sorts of awesome in our book. (This also brought back memories of my own childhood; when I was young my parents would spend crazy money building custom superhero birthday cakes (Incredible Hulk, Batman, Spider-Man) for yours truly. That eventually stopped, however, and it was Carvel ice cream cakes from then on out.)

Anyway, inspired by Ace of Cakes (groovy TV show if you've never watched) and an enormous amount of love for his little one, Geoff set out to make his own 100% edible life-size Yoda cake. And over on his site, he provides step-by-step instructions and photos (a couple of which you can see below) in case you at home would like to do the same. See, my only issue with this is that after all that work, I wouldn't be able to ruin the thing by eating it. Oh well ... I'm sure it tasted heavenly. The Force was strong with this one.

Gallery: Yoda Cake



If you have or know of something cool, groovy, nifty, shiny, brilliant and Fan Made, feel free to shoot an email to leads AT cinematical DOT com.

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]]>cinematicalfeaturedstar warsStarWarsyoda cakeYodaCakeErik DavisMon, 06 Oct 2008 14:02:00 ESTThe 'Meat Train' Stops in Your Living Roomhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/the-meat-train-stops-in-your-living-room/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/the-meat-train-stops-in-your-living-room/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/the-meat-train-stops-in-your-living-room/#commentsJust about a year ago, Comcast's FEARnet video-on-demand service dug into the Lionsgate vault and pulled out Catacombs, which they offered at no charge on their VOD network. Turns out the flick wasn't all that hot, but hey, horror fans love to see stuff for free ... especially if it hasn't been released on video just yet.

So this year FEARnet is doing it again -- only this time it's a movie that did have a (rather insultingly) limited theatrical release. Like, VERY limited. Yes, gore-fans, Ryuhei Kitamura's adaptation of Clive Barker's The Midnight Meat Train may very well be viewable in your own living room -- at this very moment! (If you get FEARnet on your cable box, that is...) Last year Catacombs was also made available on the FN website prior to its DVD release, but we don't know if that will be the case on Meat Train. Lionsgate has yet to announce a DVD date for the film, so anything could happen.

Best of all, unlike Catacombs, I've already seen and have strongly recommended this particular horror movie -- and I certainly wouldn't sneeze at the source material either. For our earlier reports on this strangely controversial little horror flick, check here, here and here.

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]]>clive barkerCliveBarkerfearnetmidnight meat trainMidnightMeatTrainvideo on demandVideoOnDemandScott WeinbergMon, 06 Oct 2008 13:32:00 EST'The Dark Knight' DVD and More 'Batman 3' Rumorshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/the-dark-knight-dvd-and-more-batman-3-rumors/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/the-dark-knight-dvd-and-more-batman-3-rumors/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/the-dark-knight-dvd-and-more-batman-3-rumors/#comments

When The Dark Knight hits DVD on December 9th, it will cause hysteria not seen since ... well, it hit theaters on July 18th. Part of it will be due to those devoted fans who were buying tickets on eBay, but also be due to it receiving one heck of a release. DVD Active gives us a few details on the DVD, and you can scope out some photos of this year's hottest stocking stuffer below.

First comes the standard 1-disc edition, for those buyers who just don't care about flashy extras or DVD art. There will be no bonus features on the one-disc, so buy carefully. True fans will be opting for the 2-disc set, which includes these delightful extras:
  • Gotham Uncovered documentary
  • Featurettes (Batman Tech: The Incredible Gadgets and Tools, Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight)
  • 6 episodes of Gotham Cable's Premier News Program
  • Galleries (The Joker Cards, Concept Art, Poster Art, Production Stills)
  • Trailers and TV spots
And if that wasn't enough, the 2-disc DVD art will feature alternate art under its cardboard sleeve -- it seems the Joker savaged each and every one of them with markers and crayons (see gallery below).

There's also a third edition the really hardcore among you will be standing in line for, and that's the limited edition pictured above. It doesn't come with additional features, but is secured in a steel DVD case and accompanied by a replica Batpod. As it's not actually big enough to ride or pivot on walls, it's useless to me. But it's ideal for those of you with lots of desk space!

In related news: The brand new edition of Production Weekly lists Batman 3 as going into pre-production this February, with Christopher Nolan directing. PW is a pretty reliable trade source, though it's odd to see news like that hit there before arriving in, say, Variety. As always, more info when it develops ...


Gallery: The Dark Knight DVD

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]]>batpodChristopher NolanChristopherNolanfeaturedThe Dark KnightThe Dark Knight DVDTheDarkKnightTheDarkKnightDvdWarner BrosWarnerBrosElisabeth RappeMon, 06 Oct 2008 12:40:00 ESTDiscuss: On Political Satire, Righties vs. Lefties, and Abused Film Criticshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/discuss-on-political-satire-righties-vs-lefties-and-abused-f/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/discuss-on-political-satire-righties-vs-lefties-and-abused-f/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/discuss-on-political-satire-righties-vs-lefties-and-abused-f/#comments

It was kind of a boring weekend, so I thought I'd have a chat with two of my good pals and then foist it off as an actual article. Our topic of discussion was An American Carol, its reception from film critics and moviegoers, and the aggressive ways in which people often communicate through the internet (our review is currently up to well over 100 comments). Joining us today are my esteemed colleagues Eric D. Snider and William B. Goss. Let's listen in, shall we?

Scott: You both saw and reviewed An American Carol. What can you tell us about readers' reactions to your articles?

Will: Reader reaction was, for the most part, violently contrarian, with many equating the lack of laughter on my part to some sort of deep-seated anti-American sentiments, and not due to David Zucker's anti-humor stance.

Eric: Mostly the same for me. A lot of comments were posted within a very short span of time, and they said basically the same thing as each other, making me wonder if there was an organized effort somewhere urging people to make their voices heard.

Scott: Would you say you walked into the film with any prejudice or bias?

Eric: I was predisposed to liking David Zucker. I even liked (for the most part) the last two "Scary Movie" films, which he directed, which I think put me in the minority. I was wary of how good a comedy would be when it was made with such a specific goal in mind -- usually you gotta let the humor come first, then the ideology, not the other way around -- but I was curious to see what would happen.

Will: While I LOVE Airplane!, really like the first Naked Gun, and genuinely enjoy Scary Movie 3, I didn't laugh during the trailer and couldn't recall if I was ever pleasantly surprised by any film that went unscreened for press.

Eric: Good point... Not screening is almost always a bad sign. I'm sure that dampened my expectations somewhat.

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]]>an american carolAnAmericanCarolcinematicalfeaturedScott WeinbergMon, 06 Oct 2008 12:02:00 ESTCasting Bites: Secret Superheroes, Demi Chanel, and More!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/casting-bites-secret-superheroes-demi-chanel-and-more/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/casting-bites-secret-superheroes-demi-chanel-and-more/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/casting-bites-secret-superheroes-demi-chanel-and-more/#commentsWe've had superheroes who actually hold some sort of power, and we've had normal folks pretending their super, but how about possible delusion, or secret superhero traits that lead you to spell poorly? As The Hollywood Reporter posts, Woody Harrelson and Sandra Oh are starring in a new film called Defendor, and Playlist-loving Kat Dennings is looking to join in on the fun. Woody will play a man who thinks he has a secret superhero identity, while Oh plays his shrink and Dennings would play a teen he becomes friends with. As a superhero, what sort of powers would suit Woody best? Leaping over buildings in a single bound? Tingling Spider sense? Stay tuned!

In the rumor realm, we've got buzz bubbling about a third Coco Chanel project (like two aren't enough). Beyond the TV movie with Shirley MacLaine and the feature with Audrey Tatou, The Guardian posts that there might be a third starring, believe it or not, Demi Moore. I guess the look is right, but could Mrs. Kutcher pull off a period piece -- one focused on an icon no less? (And just in case Coco isn't enough for you, the report also states that there are rumors about Vivienne Westwood and Kate Moss heading to the big screen.) *UPDATE: Westwood is on her way, with Kate Winslet signed to play the icon.

Now this next bit isn't exactly casting news, but it could become that -- Variety reports that Kevin Bacon is executive producing a new series for Showtime that dips into the life of Honest Abe's infamous assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Considering how well John Adams did, I wouldn't be surprised if Bacon grabs Booth's role for himself. There's a fair likeness.

Plus: Ex-Boston Legal star Rhona Mitra is heading to Separation City, and the ever lovely Beth Grant is dabbing in Extract.

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]]>Beth GrantBethGrantCinematicalCoco ChanelCocoChanelDefendorDemi MooreDemiMooreKevin BaconKevinBaconRhona MitraRhonaMitraMonika BartyzelMon, 06 Oct 2008 11:02:00 ESTJeff Bridges Talks About the Cutting Edge of 'Tron 2'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/jeff-bridges-talks-about-the-cutting-edge-of-tron-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/jeff-bridges-talks-about-the-cutting-edge-of-tron-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/jeff-bridges-talks-about-the-cutting-edge-of-tron-2/#commentsThe geek cred of Jeff Bridges has skyrocketed this year. I can't really think of a time when he wasn't adored by film fans, but he's got a special place with the fanboys these days thanks to his turn as Obadiah Stane in Iron Man. I was present for the Tron 2/Tr2n (do I really have to spell it that way?) footage at ComicCon this year -- and it was one of those moments that will forever hold a place in nerd legend; the first glimpse of Bridges' face caused the walls of Hall H to shake with howls of glee. And that was just a teaser filmed purely for the convention -- heaven knows what emotions the actual trailer will prompt.

The Guardian had the chance to sit down with Bridges, who happily chatted about revisiting his Tron role -- and the uncertain possibility of having to don a "neon mankini" again. ("Ah, the G-string. You've got to love it. I'm wearing one now!") But despite the potential for skimpy underthings, Bridges felt the chance of doing a new Tron movie was too good to pass up. "[It's] another unique, wild experience that was too good to turn down. Engaging in that world again feels just like it did all that time ago. Basically, I'm still a child, I love being childlike, and here was another chance to play with these crazy toys. And the cutting-edge technology makes it exciting. Doing the teaser trailer for Comic-Con, I had my first experience of motion capture. And that's turning the industry on its head. It's amazing being part of that."

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]]>featuredJeff BridgesJeffBridgestr2nTron 2Tron2Elisabeth RappeMon, 06 Oct 2008 10:02:00 ESTWeekend Box Office: Never Bet Against Talking Animalshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/weekend-box-office-never-bet-against-talking-animals/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/weekend-box-office-never-bet-against-talking-animals/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/06/weekend-box-office-never-bet-against-talking-animals/#commentsEric D. Snider tried his best to trick me into watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua this week. It didn't work on me, but it worked on millions of Snider acolytes all over North America, who joined forces to give the talking-animals kidflick a strong $29 million, first-place debut. I didn't see it, as I say, so it would be wrong for me to bemoan the decline of civilization that this surely (if unsurprisingly) represents. Feel free to do so in the comments.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist opened to $12 million and third place, which I'd have to say is okay for the low-profile, borderline-niche film. That number, though not terribly impressive, is actually a fair testament to Michael Cera's star power, since his presence was literally the only mass-marketable aspect of the movie. So the debut is at least a draw for Sony.

It was an interesting weekend in that there were several films opening in, or expanding into, semi-wide release. The biggest winner of that bunch has to be Religulous, Bill Maher's aggressively anti-faith documentary, which did $3.5 million on around 500 screens for $6,972 per screen. Given the preaching-to-the-relatively-small-choir quality of the film, I don't expect it to hold up too well in the weeks ahead, but this level of interest is a mild surprise. Facing off against Religulous ideologically was David Zucker's conservative spoof An American Carol which, according to the estimates, edged out Religulous with $3.8 million on over 1,600 screens.

Ed Harris's lightweight western Appaloosa expanded to roughly 1,000 screens and took in $5 million -- which is okay, but seems like a missed opportunity. Faring worse were Flash of Genius (1100 screens) and Blindness (1700), with $2.3 and $2 million respectively, both landing outside the top 10. The grim Blindness was a no-sale from the beginning, especially since the critics never got on board, but the unabashedly populist Flash of Genius underperformed. Maybe the ads emphasized windshield wipers too much.

A bit more plus the weekend's top 12 after the jump.

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]]>an american carolAnAmericanCarolappaloosabeverly hills chihuahuaBeverlyHillsChihuahuablindnessburn after readingBurnAfterReadingeagle eyeEagleEyeflash of geniusFlashOfGeniushow to lose friends and alienate peopleHowToLoseFriendsAndAlienatePeoplelakeview terraceLakeviewTerracenick and norahs infinite playlistNickAndNorahsInfinitePlaylistnights in rodantheNightsInRodanthereligulousweekend box officeWeekendBoxOfficeEugene NovikovMon, 06 Oct 2008 09:02:00 ESTDiscuss: The 'Quantum of Solace' Theme Song - Love It or Hate It?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/05/discuss-the-quantum-of-solace-theme-song-love-it-or-hate-it/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/05/discuss-the-quantum-of-solace-theme-song-love-it-or-hate-it/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/05/discuss-the-quantum-of-solace-theme-song-love-it-or-hate-it/#comments

So last week, the official theme song for Quantum of Solace -- y'know, that new James Bond flick -- was formally released online, and above is the music video for Jack White and Alicia Keys' "Another Way to Die." This managed to slip past us, probably because we were all still drooling over Erik's chance to comandeer an Aston friggin' Martin (no, no, 'jealous' isn't quite the word...), and now that it's out, opinions are becoming considerably divided.

On his personal blog, Bond devotee David Cornelius of eFilmCritic.com said "it's, um, not good. Really, really not good. The Coke commercial focused on the catchy hook, which was good. But the rest of the song? Not good. We're talking "Die Another Day" not good. Argh."

Devindra Hardawar of /Film feels a little less harsh about it: "It's not a terrible song (see Madonna's for Die Another Day for a good example of that), but it certainly doesn't feel like anything new for the series. It seems as if it tries to do way too much, and the song ends up feeling overstuffed in the process."

Left in the apparent, admitted minority is Devin Faraci over at CHUD.com, who likes the song, if not the video.

As for me, I dig the thing, though it's stuck stubbornly in my head over the past couple of days, but I rarely think that's a bad thing. What say you guys? Is "Another Way to Die" worthy of our favorite double-0 agent? Or would you rather they had just adopted "Something of Boris" instead?

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]]>alicia keysAliciaKeysanother way to dieAnotherWayToDiedaniel craigDanielCraigjack whiteJackWhitejames bondjames bond theme songJamesBondJamesBondThemeSongquantum of solaceQuantumOfSolaceWilliam GossSun, 05 Oct 2008 17:02:00 ESTCinematical's Stuff That Happened This Weekhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/cinematicals-stuff-that-happened-this-week/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/cinematicals-stuff-that-happened-this-week/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/cinematicals-stuff-that-happened-this-week/#comments

Here's the setting: You just arrived home after saving a country from an evil mastermind hell-bent on taking over their supply of chewing gum and using it to create mayhem. During that time, however, you missed your Cinematical and all the stuff that happened during the week. Well, you showed up at just the right time -- may we now present [drum roll please] ... Cinematical's Stuff That Happened This Week!

Fanboy Stuff
Kenneth Branagh is Directing Thor
Transformers 2 is Shooting in IMAX
Eagle Eye Writer Wants to Make a Blade Runner 2?
Zack Snyder Talks 300 Sequel
But Then Jon Favreau Talks Iron Man Sequel
Check Out Early Art for Pixar's The Incredibles
Star Wars Steampunk and Reservoir Dogs = Hella Cool!
Are They Rebooting Daredevil?

Exclusive Stuff
Bolt Poster Premiere
Pray the Devil Back to Hell Poster Premiere
Clip from Bill Maher's Religulous

Stuff to Talk About
Will Smith vs Will Smith
Five People Who Should Star in PG Porn
Who's More Uncomfortable with Onscreen Nudity?
Which Upcoming Marvel Film Shows the Most Promise?
How Saw V Could Actually Be Good
Is Roku's Netflix Player Tempting You Yet
When Talking Animals Attack
Horror Remakes That Don't Suck

Reviews and Stuff
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Religulous
Rachel Getting Married
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Flash of Genius
Appaloosa
An American Carol
Indie Spotlight: New Releases for Oct. 3

More stuff after the jump ...

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]]>Erik DavisSat, 04 Oct 2008 15:02:00 EST'Flash' Foe Ford Clears Up About Wipershttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/flash-foe-ford-clears-up-about-wipers/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/flash-foe-ford-clears-up-about-wipers/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/flash-foe-ford-clears-up-about-wipers/#commentsIn this weekend's well-meaning docudrama, Flash of Genius, Greg Kinnear portrays an inventor who struggled for years to sue car manufacturing behemoth Ford and get them to admit that they helped themselves to his patent on the intermittent windshield wiper. (Eugene reviewed it back at Telluride, and I basically agree with his assessment.)

Despite the real-life case being settled a couple of decades ago, Ford has taken this current opportunity to point out the factual inaccuracies in the movie that they've taken issue with, doing so in the form of this handy timeline, without causing any sort of formal stir, as covered in this accompanying text. Especially considering that the film's subject, Robert Kearns, passed away over three years ago, I doubt it would (and hope it won't) come to any sort of renewed head.

Maybe in thirty years or so, we'll get a movie about a blogger battling impossible odds to get all the facts straight on either side of a movie in which an inventor battled impossible odds to get just some facts straight. Now, to just work the word 'Genius' back into the title...

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]]>bob kearnsBobKearnsflash of geniusFlashOfGeniusford motor companyFordMotorCompanygreg kinnearGregKinnearintermittent wiperIntermittentWiperrobert kearnsRobertKearnswindshield wipersWindshieldWipersWilliam GossSat, 04 Oct 2008 14:32:00 ESTReview: Flash of Geniushttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-flash-of-genius/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-flash-of-genius/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-flash-of-genius/#comments

(We're re-posting our review of Flash of Genius from the Telluride Film Festival to coincide with the film's theatrical release this weekend)

By: Eugene Novikov

Flash of Genius is a conventional crowdpleaser but not, I'm pleased to report, a shameless one. Chronicling the true story of a college professor's fight to reclaim his invention - the intermittent windshield wiper - from the car company that stole it, the film does many of the things you'd expect, but it may also surprise you. Don't let its Telluride placement fool you: this is a staunchly mainstream, unchallenging film, the sort of underdog-vs.-corporate-behemoth story you've seen time and again. But it's a decent rendition, hitting the right notes without insulting our intelligence.

Now, the intermittent windshield wiper is not exactly the light bulb. If you're not familiar with the term, the wiper is "intermittent" in the sense that it can pause between wipes - a problem that apparently puzzled engineers at all the major car companies until Kearns cracked it the late 60s. But part of what's nifty about the film is its ability to create suspense and curiosity around something so seemingly mundane. Kearns' first demo of his device to Ford is exciting in a very goofy way, but exciting nonetheless.

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]]>cinematicalflash of geniusFlashOfGeniusgreg kinnearGregKinnearCinematical staffSat, 04 Oct 2008 13:32:00 ESTReview: An American Carolhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-an-american-carol/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-an-american-carol/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-an-american-carol/#comments

It is hard to believe that a comedy as singularly inept and downright unfunny as An American Carol came from one of the three minds behind one of the funniest comedies of all time, Airplane! (I'd argue THE funniest, but that's for another place and time), and harder yet to believe that it somehow weaseled its way onto 1,600+ screens this weekend. But here it is, as witless and tactless as anything 2008 has offered up to date, and in a year where the wonder duo that is Friedberg and Seltzer has shat out not one, but two similarly dreadful offerings, that's saying a lot.

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]]>american carolAmericanCarolan american carolAnAmericanCaroldavid zuckerDavidZuckerjon voightJonVoightkelsey grammerKelseyGrammerkevin farleyKevinFarleyrobert daviRobertDavitrace adkinsTraceAdkinsWilliam GossSat, 04 Oct 2008 12:03:00 ESTRoger Ebert Talks to the Wachowskishttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/roger-ebert-talks-to-the-wachowskis/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/roger-ebert-talks-to-the-wachowskis/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/roger-ebert-talks-to-the-wachowskis/#commentsSomehow I missed this on Thursday, but apparently so did everyone else, since I didn't see it linked anywhere. Roger Ebert was hanging out at a post-production studio in Chicago, watching the restored new print of The Godfather, when he was unexpectedly joined by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the famously inaccessible duo behind The Matrix, Speed Racer, and (people forget) Bound. Afterward, he got a chance to chat with them -- not in a conventional interview setting, complete with a hovering publicist (the brothers don't do that, remember?), but over a beer.

Ebert was impressed with the "zillionaires": "Nice people. Friendly. No Hollywood attitude." He writes that "[t]he blogosphere paints them as mysterious recluses, which may add to the legend but doesn't match the reality." But their being nice and friendly doesn't make them any less mysterious and reclusive: I'd wager that Ebert only ran the piece because of their reputation for not giving interviews or talking to anyone in the press.

Anyway, it's really interesting to "hear" them speak, though they mostly talk about the difficulties of keeping a moving 35 mm shot in focus and the brilliance of Coppola's Godfather shot selection. It's funny how keeping silent for a while will make such brief, mundane snippets into objects of arcane fascination. (Though since I think the Wachowskis are pretty formidable visual artists themselves, I find their perspective on that sort of thing interesting in its own right.)

No photo, of course; all you get is that old shot of the two admiring a Matrix comic book.

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]]>andy wachowskiAndyWachowskiboundlarry wachowskiLarryWachowskiroger ebertRogerEbertspeed racerSpeedRacerthe godfatherthe matrixTheGodfatherTheMatrixwachowski brothersWachowskiBrothersEugene NovikovSat, 04 Oct 2008 10:32:00 ESTReview: Rachel Getting Marriedhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-rachel-getting-married/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-rachel-getting-married/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/04/review-rachel-getting-married/#comments

(We're re-posting our review of Rachel Getting Married from the Toronto International Film Festival to coincide with the film's theatrical release this weekend)

By: James Rocchi

Rachel Getting Married is a terse, smart, funny and tough family drama about forgiveness and failure written by Jenny Lumet; it's also a loose, smart, broad and bright film about family and love directed by Jonathan Demme. When these two things are in sync, the end result is something truly impressive - a moving story that appeals to your heart and soul without insulting your intelligence, a film full of big scenes that never stoops to the most obvious possible iteration of those big scenes, a movie loaded with great and sincere performances from the top down. When the two parts of Rachel Getting Married fall out of synch - as they do, most notably, in the last third of the film during Demme's raucous, joyous post-wedding reception - it's less catastrophic than it is curious, and the final film is still very much worth watching.

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]]>anne hathawayAnneHathawaycinematicalrachel getting marriedRachelGettingMarriedCinematical staffSat, 04 Oct 2008 09:03:00 ESTThe Rocchi Review -- With Cinematical Managing Editor Scott Weinberghttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/03/the-rocchi-review-with-cinematical-managing-editor-scott-wein/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/03/the-rocchi-review-with-cinematical-managing-editor-scott-wein/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/10/03/the-rocchi-review-with-cinematical-managing-editor-scott-wein/#comments
What were the breakout films at this year's Fantastic Fest? Which French horror film had audiences squirming and arguing at Fantastic Fest and Toronto's Midnight Madness? What question couldn't James shake during Zack and Miri Make a Porno -- and what, according to Scott, is that film's secret weapon? And which October films are waiting to be your new fave film of the fall? Joining James this week to talk about all of the above -- and more -- is Cinematical's Managing Editor Scott Weinberg. ... Cinematical's podcast is now available through iTunes; you can subscribe at this link. Also, you can listen directly here at Cinematical by clicking below:



As ever, you can download the entire podcast right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

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]]>AcolytesBeverly Hills ChiuauaBeverlyHillsChiuaualet the right one inLetTheRightOneInMartyrsNick and Noras Infinite PlaylistNickAndNorasInfinitePlaylistNot Quite HollywoodNotQuiteHollywoodReligulousthe BurrowersTheBurrowerszack and miri make a pornoZackAndMiriMakeAPornoJames RocchiFri, 03 Oct 2008 21:02:00 EST