11.20.2008 | By Jack Rico |
Set in Italy, but currently being shot in the UK, the star-studded film tells the story of a middle-aged film director distracted by the many women in his life.
The director Guido Contini, played by Lewis, is experiencing something of a mid-life crisis as he struggles to finish his latest film in 1960s Venice.
Cruz plays his mistress Carla, who is vying for Contini’s attention with his wife Louisa, played by La Vie En Rose star, Marion Cotillard, and his muse Claudia, played by Nicole Kidman.
Nine was originally a hit on Broadway in 1982 and ran for 729 performances, making a star out of the Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia.
The film version is being directed Rob Marshall, who directed the acclaimed screen version of the musical Chicago.
Nine’s impressive cast also includes Judi Dench, Kate Hudson and the Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, who is said to be putting on weight for her role as prostitute Saraghina.
Cruz and Lewis were photographed on set in the Nene Valley Railway in Peterborough, but the Spanish actress appeared to suffer from the cold, shivering as Lewis wrapped his overcoat around her.
Filming is expected to finish in January.
11.20.2008 | By Mack Chico |
John Malkovich is so touched by the plight of migrant children who cross illegally into the United States that he plans to make a documentary about it.
The actor and director says the documentary, which will be titled “Triple Crossing,” will seek to humanize the issue of illegal migration.
Malkovich said Wednesday the film will be produced by Canana Films, a production company owned by Mexican actors Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal.
Malkovich, of “Burn After Reading,” is in Mexico directing the play “The Good Canary.”
Luna, of “The Terminal” and “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” interprets the play’s lead character, writer Jack Parker.
The play opens Nov. 26 for 10 weeks in Mexico City’s Teatro Insurgentes.
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11.18.2008 | By Alex Florez |
Rated:
Release Date: 2008-06-27
Starring: Andrew Stanton
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Official Website: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e/
11.17.2008 | By Mack Chico |
Rated: PG-13 for mature material and sensuality.
Release Date: 2008-08-08
Starring: Elizabeth Chandler (guión), Ann Brashares (novela)
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Official Website: http://sisterhoodofthetravelingpants2.warnerbros.com/
Men who are film critics, such as myself, stereotypically aren’t fond of the movie genre known as ‘the chick flick’. We usually have to remove our male biased opinions towards them and see it for the cinematic work that they are. In this particular case, I must admit, ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2’ was an enjoyable and delightful film that engrossed me for its 2 hour duration.
I really wasn’t expecting to like it, so the fact that I did, makes it even more memorable. Sisterhood, based on a book by Ann Brashares, is a reunion for the actresses that have now made it ‘big time’ on their respective TV shows; Hondurean American America Ferrera stars in ‘Ugly Betty’, Blake Lively in the hot sexy Gossip Girls, Amber Tamblyn is widely known for Joan of Arcadia and Argetinian-Mexican American Alexis Bledel (who knew she was a hardcore Latin?) currently stars in Gilmore Girls. This year more than ever, television stars are making Hollywood look real good.
One of the great things about the film outside of the physical and cultural diversity of the cast, is the chemistry they share onset. They seem to really get what their characters are all about. It’s three years later and each of the girls are exploring their professional goals. Their only apprehensiveness is the potential estrangement from themselves that distance could impose on them. The four story lines are alluring enough to not lose you to lassitude.
Ferrera is the best actress of the group, evident when she spews out Shakespeare lines as if they were vernacular English. Tamblyn, with her caustic and mordant personality, provided the much needed comic relief from the emotional pounding the film takes with Lively’s character. Bledel, unfortunately was the weakest link and didn’t really provide enough believable gravitas to take the film to the next level.
As my colleague Alex Florez termed it, ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2’ is a ‘slice of life’ movie, and I believe it will resonate not only with tween audiences, but also with mom and dad adults. That combination will surely squeeze out a third part out of those magical jeans.
11.17.2008 | By Pau Brunet |
It’s a Bond market .
“Quantum of Solace,” with Daniel Craig returning as James Bond , easily made for the best opening weekend for the spy franchise, earning more than $67 million at the box office. The series’ first direct sequel opened with nearly $30 million more than its predecessor, 2006’s “Casino Royale.”
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC:
1. “Quantum of Solace,” Sony/MGM, $67,528,882, 3,451 locations, $19,568 average, $67,528,882, one week.
2. ” Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa ,” Paramount, $35,017,301, 4,065 locations, $8,614 average, $116,905,195, two weeks.
3. ” Role Models ,” Universal, $11,150,030, 2,798 locations, $3,985 average, $37,577,245, two weeks.
4. ” High School Musical 3: Senior Year ,” Disney, $5,656,162, 3,202 locations, $1,766 average, $84,169,216, four weeks.
5. ” Changeling ,” Universal, $4,254,080, 1,896 locations, $2,244 average, $27,631,772, four weeks.
6. ” Zack and Miri Make a Porno ,” Weinstein Co., $3,146,312, 2,210 locations, $1,424 average, $26,465,482, three weeks.
7. “Soul Men,” MGM, $2,350,141, 2,048 locations, $1,148 average, $9,370,925, two weeks.
8. “The Secret Life of Bees,” Fox Searchlight, $2,338,279, 1,449 locations, $1,614 average, $33,627,359, five weeks.
9. ” Saw V ,” Lionsgate , $1,767,405, 2,002 locations, $883 average, $55,380,488, four weeks.
10. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua ,” Disney, $1,579,080, 1,617 locations, $977 average, $90,878,127, seven weeks.
11.16.2008 | By Mack Chico |
A new version of “Pinocchio” is on its way to the big screen, this one to be co-directed by acclaimed children’s book illustrator Gris Grimly and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro.
The adaptation, being made by the Jim Henson Co., will be done as a stop-motion animated feature. Henson co-CEOs Brian Henson and Lisa Henson and senior vp feature films Jason Lust are producing.
The aim is to make a dark, twisted retelling of the famous Carlo Collodi fairy tale about the wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy. In the retelling, when Pinocchio comes to life, he turns out not to be that nice of a boy, creating mischief and playing mean tricks. He eventually learns a few lessons. The story and the look of the feature will be based on the 2002 children’s book illustrated by Grimly, who is repped by Gotham Group.
Sitting with Grimly in the director’s chair will be Adam Parrish King, whose “The Wraith of Cobble Hill” won the short filmmaking award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award in the shorts category.
News of del Toro’s involvement initially broke on the horror Web site Bloody-Disgusting.
The new incarnation of “Pinocchio” looks to have better luck than the previous attempt, which involved Francis Ford Coppola. In 1991, Coppola tried to set up a live-action version at Warners; after an impasse emerged, he tried to set it up at Columbia. The project disintegrated in a costly lawsuit.
11.15.2008 | By Mack Chico |
Mark Wahlberg says a possible sequel to The Departed may feature an appearance by either Robert De Niro or Brad Pitt.
The Boogie Nights star, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance as cop Dignam in Martin Scorsese‘s version of the Hong Kong crime drama, told Digital Spy that big names have been bandied about for a sequel.
“They were talking about bringing in a couple of new guys like De Niro, maybe Brad Pitt or someone like that playing the bad guy, a corrupt politician or something,” he said. “Then, like the Hong Kong [Infernal Affairs] trilogy that the movie is based on, come back and do a prequel and bring everyone else back who was in the first.”
Wahlberg added that he would only be interested in appearing in the sequel, “If we can make it better than the first and people are willing to see it”.
11.14.2008 | By SBC Staff |
The new Bond film Quantum of Solace isn’t better than its predecessor Casino Royale, and its story isn’t as fun as Wanted. So, where did the $225 million they spent on it go? Read More
11.12.2008 | By Jack Rico |
With a month to go before its US release (December 12th and Jan 9th, 2009) we obtained 8 never before seen movie clips from ‘Che’ starring Academy award winning actor Benicio del Toro and a prolific Latino cast.
These clips are in Spanish without English subtitles, just the way director Steven Soderbergh intended them to be. Cameos include Julia Ormond, Franka Potente and yes… Matt Damon as a US agent having a whole conversation speaking in Spanish.
We were surprised at the various Latino dialects we heard from Colombia, Puerto Rico and even Mexican, from many actors who were trying to sound Cuban. But at the end of a 5 hour journey through the life of Guevara, it is the last of your worries.
Nevertheless, we will have a review of the film in December. We enjoyed it, if it matters to you, so enjoy these clips and we hope they help you judge whether you want to invest your time and money in the film.
11.11.2008 | By Jack Rico |
Columbia Pictures is back in the dojo with a new version of the 1984 hit “The Karate Kid,” which has been refashioned as a star vehicle for Jaden Smith, Will Smith’s son.
The film will be produced by Jerry Weintraub (who launched the original franchise) and Overbrook Entertainment‘s James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz. Will Smith, who is the 10-year-old actor’s father, co-starred alongside Jaden in his feature debut, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which Overbrook and Escape Artists produced for Columbia.
The script is being written by Chris Murphy, and the film will shoot next year in Beijing and other cities. While the new film will be set in that exotic locale, it will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor.
China Film Group Corp. will co-produce in China.
The younger Smith, who next stars in “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” is a martial arts practitioner.
Columbia presidents Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach said they had been trying to find a way to bring back the series, which began with three films that featured Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. A subsequent film launched the career of Hilary Swank.
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