The Latest in ShowBiz News

Godard’s ‘Breathless’ to be re-released in theaters!

2010/04/19 at 12:00am

Godard’s ‘Breathless’ to be re-released in theaters!

04.19.2010 | By Jack Rico |

Jean-Luc Godard is still living and he is now 79! God bless him. A living icon. I was planning on seeing it on DVD this weekend, but hell, if I can catch a restored version in theaters then screw the DVD!

For the 50th anniversary release, Rialto has made new 35mm prints from a restored negative supervised by the film’s director of photography, Raoul Coutard – the first restoration of BREATHLESS ever. Rialto has also added completely revised English subtitles by Lenny Borger, capturing Godard’s playful language like never before. Borger has just finished working with Godard on the subtitles for the director’s latest film, “Film Socialisme,” which will be shown in the “Un Certain Regard” section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Rialto Pictures will open the 50th anniversary restoration of BREATHLESS on Friday, May 28 at Film Forum in New York [and at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles], followed by additional cities.

Based on a treatment by François Truffaut and photographed by New Wave legend Raoul Coutard, with no less a crime specialist than Claude Chabrol as technical advisor, Godard’s jazzy riff on American Film Noir features iconic performances from Belmondo, as the on-the-run Bogart-inspired small-time hood, and Seberg as his American, Herald Tribune-hawking girlfriend, who ultimately betrays him. With a pace that’s non-stop, thanks to its startling new editing techniques, BREATHLESS reinvented the grammar of movies and almost instantly changed the course of international filmmaking.

By Alex Florez

2010/04/17 at 4:40pm

Movies

Do erectile dysfunction pills work

04.17.2010 | By Alex Florez |

For example, you still get erections within the mornings, however not during sexual activity. The Sexual Advice Association has factsheets on medicines and different treatments, together with injections, implants and creams.

Using a panel of blacks and whites as judges, Cunningham found extra neotenous faces had been perceived as having each larger “femininity” and “sociability”. In distinction, Cunningham found that faces that had been “low in neoteny” have been judged as “intimidating”.

Men tend to view taller girls as much less enticing, and other people view heterosexual couples the place the woman is taller to be less ideal. Women who’re 0.7 to 1.7 normal deviations beneath the imply female top have been reported to be the most reproductively successful, since fewer tall girls get married compared to shorter ladies. However, in different ethnic teams, such because the Hadza, research has found that top is irrelevant in selecting a mate. Cross-cultural knowledge reveals that the reproductive success of girls is tied to their youth and physical attractiveness such as the pre-industrial Sami the place probably the most reproductively profitable women have been 15 years younger than their man.

Is erectile dysfunction genetic

In Arabian society in the Middle Ages, a element of the feminine beauty ideal was for women to have round faces which have been like a “full moon”. In Persian literature, beautiful ladies are said to have noses like hazelnuts. In Arabian society within the Middle Ages, a element of the feminine beauty ideal was for women to have straight and fantastic noses. In Jewish Rabbinic literature, the rabbis thought of a fragile nose to be the perfect sort of nose for girls. In Japan, during the Edo interval, a part of the feminine beauty perfect was for girls to have tall noses which have been straight and never “too tall”.

High estrogen stage girls can also be viewed as more healthy or to have a more female face.
All of this stuff may affect how you view your relationship.
The figure at left acquired the best average attractiveness ranking from South African males whereas a figure with an intermediate measurement acquired the best scores from both British African and British Caucasian males.
Research signifies that ED is frequent, and it is instructed that approximately 40% of males experience symptoms compatible with ED, no less than sometimes.
Your doctor can discover out if you have an erection problem by asking questions on your well being and doing a bodily examination.

How erectile dysfunction affects a man

Women focus totally on the ratio waist to chest or extra specifically waist to shoulder. This is analogous to the waist to hip ratio (WHR) that males choose. Key body image for a person within the eyes of a woman would come with massive shoulders, chest, and higher back, and a slim waist area.

Some ailments such as diabetes or heart illness could make it tougher to have or hold an erection. But the examine additionally “affirms a positive affiliation between later-life well being, sexual partnership and sexual activity,” she stated. All four medicines enhance the effects of nitric oxide â€” a natural chemical your physique produces that relaxes muscles within the penis. This will increase blood circulate and lets you get an erection in response to sexual stimulation. For many individuals, a bodily examination and answering questions (medical historical past) are all that is wanted for a doctor to diagnose erectile dysfunction and advocate a remedy.

Erectile dysfunction should be treated

In some circumstances, treatment can involve inserting prostaglandin pellets into the urethra, injecting easy muscle relaxants and vasodilators into the penis, a penile implant, a penis pump, or vascular reconstructive surgical procedure. These embrace heart problems, diabetes mellitus, neurological problems similar to following prostatectomy, hypogonadism, and drug unwanted effects. Psychological impotence is where erection or penetration fails as a result of ideas or emotions; this is considerably less frequent, on the order of about 10% of cases.

By Jack Rico

2010/04/16 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Secret In Their Eyes

04.16.2010 | By Jack Rico |

By Jack Rico

2010/04/16 at 12:00am

Reviews

Kick-Ass

04.16.2010 | By Jack Rico |

By Jack Rico

2010/04/15 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Joneses

04.15.2010 | By Jack Rico |

We all know the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses,” and so does first time writer/director Darrick Borte, who has used that as the basis for his debut, called (appropriately enough) The Joneses. The subject matter is simple enough: Borte has elected to highlight modern society’s materialistic and status obsessions while at the same time postulating how out-of-control marketing campaigns have become. In a sense, consumers have become like children – see something, want something. Credit card debt is out of control because people can’t restrain their buying impulses. However, despite a brilliantly cynical premise and a delicious start, the film eventually wilts like a lily left out in the noonday heat. Like too many satires that start out with santoku-sharp edges, the blade dulls because the filmmakers don’t hone it as the third act approaches. A desire to be likeable and perhaps appealing to mainstream audiences causes The Joneses to fade before eventually imploding. The biggest gaffe: a late-inning sermon delivered by David Duchovny. The problem has less to do with his preaching ability than with the recognition that the message would be better left unsaid. Is Borte so uncertain of his skill that he has to spell out everything letter-by-letter? Whatever happened to subtlety?

At first glance, the Joneses appear to be a perfect family: father Steve (David Duchovny), mother Kate (Demi Moore), son Mick (Ben Hollingsworth), and daughter Jenn (Amber Heard). But since this is a movie, there’s no such thing as a “perfect family” and, despite the beautiful house, the expensive furniture, and the luxury cars, there are issues in this paradise, as becomes apparent when Jenn tries to slip into Dad’s bed one night. It turns out these four are actually employees of a corporation called LifeImage and have been seeded into this neighborhood to show off the good life to their neighbors and get them to buy the products LifeImage represents. The couple next door, Larry (Gary Cole) and Summer (Glenne Headly), fall for it hook, line, and sinker – but there’s an issue. Larry doesn’t make enough money to finance all the purchases and he soon finds himself drowning in debt – not exactly a unique situation in modern-day American society.

I’m a little uneasy about the film’s message regarding corporate amorality and greed. It’s not that I don’t think corporations sometimes cross lines in their marketing campaigns, but personal responsibility has to come into it, and that’s not something the film addresses. Blaming escalating personal debt on corporate practices is offering a scapegoat for a lack of fiscal restraint. According to The Joneses, when people get in over their heads in debt, it’s because of a company’s selling practices, not because of a lack of self-control on the part of consumers who should be watching their bottom line. These aren’t high school students caving in to peer pressure. Yes, the issue of “keeping up with the Joneses” is a problem in modern day America, but to put all the blame on the people marketing and selling the products is to overlook a major part of the issue.

That being said, the manner in which the film begins and the way it gradually reveals the truth about its protagonists is smart and savvy, and the satire of marketing is on-target more often than not. What’s being postulated by this film isn’t far from reality. Is it that much different to use product placement in movies and television shows than it is to use a real-life variation of the same thing? (In what I assume is an example of in-your-face irony, Borte uses a fair share of such placements in this movie, the most obvious of which is for a car I won’t name here.)

Solid performances from David Duchovny (in a cleaned-up version of his Californication character), Demi Moore (defying age), Ben Hollingsworth, and Amber Heard can’t save the movie when the screenplay goes as limp as a noodle and turns into a long string of clichés. It’s sad, really, because the movie begins with so much promise. It has its share of amusing moments but, in the end, The Joneses feels like a satire that never blossoms because of a fear of becoming too dark. It’s a missed opportunity that will have The Joneses struggling to keep up with its mid-April multiplex competition.

By Jack Rico

2010/04/14 at 12:00am

Reviews

The Perfect Game

04.14.2010 | By Jack Rico |

Sony Pictures releases 11 ‘Cantinflas’ movies on DVD

By Jack Rico

2010/04/14 at 12:00am

Movies

Sony Pictures releases 11 ‘Cantinflas’ movies on DVD

04.14.2010 | By Jack Rico |

I was just sent this press release for the new Cantiflas box set coming out on May 11th. Sony is distributing it and we’re talking about it. After my exclusive scoop on Oscar Jaenada playing Cantinflas on the biopic movie, the buzz on Cantinflas has officially started!

Here’s more on the DVD releases which is probably worth your money.

Mario Moreno, aka “Cantinflas” created a simple, universal character whose roundabout phrases and meaningless speeches confounded those around him, but delighted Spanish-speaking audiences for decades. On May 11, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will debut seven comedy classics starring the beloved Mexican comedian that have never before been released on DVD: A Volar Joven, El Circo, El Gendarme Desconocido, El Mago, El Senor Fotografo, Los Tres Mosqueteros, and Si Yo Fuera Diputado. In addition, four titles are being re-released: El Bolero de Raquel, El Analfabeto, El Padrecito, and Su Excelencia. Each title in the Cantinflas collection will be available separately for $14.94.

Mario “Cantinflas” Moreno, whom the legendary comedian Charlie Chaplin dubbed “the funniest man in the world,” began his career in the 1930s in the “carpas” (tent shows) in Mexico City. After early attempts to find his comedic voice, he embraced his own heritage as a lowly slum dweller and audiences enthusiastically endorsed this comic persona. With his tiny mustache tipping the corner of his mouth, a cockeyed cap over dark, disheveled hair, dirty vest and a rope for a belt, Cantinflas became the idol of the masses by satirizing the police and politicians.

As a pioneer in the Mexican film industry, he helped usher in its golden era. His foray into American cinema landed him a Golden Globe® as Best Actor for his role in Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), but his comedic presence shined brightest in his Spanish language films. People everywhere identified with the struggles of this winsome ragamuffin, and when he died in 1993, thousands endured a violent downpour in order to touch his casket as it lay in state. His funeral was a national event, lasting three days and attended by the presidents of Mexico, Peru, and El Salvador, and the United States Senate held a moment of silence for him.

El Gendarme Desconocido (1941, aka The Undercover Policeman)
Cantinflas captures three bandits who had robbed a bank the night before. Considered a hero, Cantinflas is given the title of Agent 777 because of his ability to disguise himself in many different forms. In his ultimate assignment, he transforms himself into a wealthy jewel collector to set up a group of gangsters. The film has a runtime of 108 minutes and is not rated.

Los Tres Mosqueteros (1942, The Three Musketeers)
Cantinflas sneaks into a cabaret where an actress is in the audience. He persuades her to dance with him, but, at the same time, thieves steal her valuable necklace. The actress is grateful when Cantinflas retrieves the necklace. When she invites him to the studio where she is filming The Three Musketeers, he is mistaken for an extra. The film has a runtime of 136 minutes and is not rated.

El Circo (1943, aka The Circus)
Cantinflas is a lowly jack-of-all-trades in a circus. He is infatuated with its glamorous female star, and his hapless bumbling disrupts the performances and the circus falls on hard times. The only thing that can save the circus is a daring trapeze act. Cantinflas volunteers to do the act and is hilarious on the trapeze, creating such a sensation that a wealthy man decides to buy the circus. The film has a runtime of 90 minutes and is not rated.

A Volar Joven (1947)
Cantinflas is a member of the Military Aviation Academy on a 24 hour leave. He goes back to the ranch where he left his sweetheart and his former employers. While there, his employers try to marry him off to their daughter whom he finds unattractive. To avoid having to marry the girl, Cantinflas tries every trick in the book to get himself in trouble. The film has a runtime of 113 minutes and is not rated.

El Mago (1949, aka The Magician)
Cantinflas goes from the streets of Mexico to the fabulous palaces of the Far East. Overnight, he becomes a Caliph, then a magician, then several other fascinating characters, each one providing another facet of Cantinflas’ unique human comedy. The film has a runtime of 100 minutes and is not rated.

Si Yo Fuera Diputado (1952)
Cantinflas stars as the owner of a barber shop, who is studying law with the help of Tio Juan (Andres Soler), once a very successful attorney who is now too ill to practice. Before long, Cantinflas begins his law practice and goes on to win many cases. Eventually he runs for office against the local political machine. The film has a runtime of 95 minutes and is not rated.

El Senor Fotografo (1953, aka Mr. Photographer)
Cantinflas, a photographer, is captured by gangsters while trying to steal flowers for his girlfriend. The gangsters mistake him for the assistant to a scientist who has discovered a formula for a new atomic bomb. Cantinflas convinces the gangsters that a rubber ball he is holding is the real atomic bomb. The film has a runtime of 100 minutes and is not rated.

El Bolero de Raquel (1957)
After arriving late and tipsy to his friend’s funeral, Cantinflas is left in charge of his friend’s son by the widow. Cantinflas and the boy, Chavita, meet Chavita’s teacher, who convinces Cantinflas that he should also go to school. When Cantinflas meets the teacher again they confess their love. The film has a runtime of 101 minutes and is not rated.

El Analfabeto (1961, aka The Illiterate One)
Cantinflas plays a young illiterate who receives a letter informing him that his rich uncle has passed away leaving him a great fortune. However, he’ll need to learn to read and write before understanding the letter. The film has a runtime of 128 minutes and is not rated.

El Padrecito (1964, aka The Little Priest)
Cantinflas stars as the new priest in a town set in its ways. Thinking he is going to take the place of their beloved priest, none of the townspeople like him. While there, he stirs up controversy with his eccentric way of doing things. The film has a runtime of 130 minutes and is not rated.

Su Excelencia (1967, aka His Excellency)
Cantinflas works at the embassy for his native Los Cocos, distributing visas to those wishing to visit his homeland. At this time, the world is divided into two sections: those countries that are red and those that are green. Because both sides are evenly matched and Los Cocos has the deciding vote, Cantinflas becomes the Ambassador of Los Cocos and both sides try to persuade him to join them. The film has a runtime of 133 minutes and is not rated.

Exclusive! Oscar Jaenada is confirmed to be ‘Cantinflas’!

Oscar Jaenada is ‘Cantinflas’

By Jack Rico

2010/04/14 at 12:00am

Movies

Exclusive! Oscar Jaenada is confirmed to be ‘Cantinflas’!

04.14.2010 | By Jack Rico |

It is now official. Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada, who will be starring in Warner Bros. The Losers this year, has been tapped to play Mario Moreno, Mexico’s most famous comedian, in the biopic Cantinflas. My source, who is directly involved in the casting of the film, has confirmed the choice for the lead. Read More

By Jack Rico

2010/04/08 at 12:00am

Reviews

La Mission

04.8.2010 | By Jack Rico |

â€˜La Missionâ€™ is by far one of the best feel-good movies of the young year. The charm and warmth of its ensemble cast sets it apart from the rest of the films Iâ€™ve seen of 2010. Benjamin Bratt delivers what I consider the best performance of his career, and even though Benâ€™s writer/director brother, Peter Brattâ€™s direction doesnâ€™t raise eyebrows, the script holds an allure that is contagious and genuine.

‘La Mission’ is the story of Che Rivera, played wonderfully by Benjamin Bratt, a San Francisco bus driver respected in his Mission district barrio for building beautiful low rider cars, yet feared for his tough and machismo ways. A reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, Cheâ€™s path to redemption is tested when he discovers that his pride and joy– his only child, Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez) is gay. In a homophobic rage, Che violently beats his son, disowning him. Out of pride, Che loses his son â€“ the â€œbest friend heâ€™s gotâ€ â€“ and once again loses himself. Emotionally broken and vulnerable, Che is left isolated and alone. In a cathartic moment on the mean streets of the Mission, Che realizes that his patriarchal pride is meaningless to him, and that in order to maintain it, he has sacrificed the one thing that he cherishes most â€“ love.

For those thinking that this is a Latino film, it is not. It never felt like one. It is just an American story about a specific subculture of people, in this case Chicanos, going through issues in their neighborhood of Mission, San Francisco. That they happen to be of Latino descent is irrelevant. Anyone, of any background can enjoy this film. Itâ€™s actually as American as it gets. My view of America isnâ€™t â€˜Leave it Beaverâ€™ or â€˜Father Knows Best,â€™ itâ€™s this movie.

The storyâ€™s genuineness and humility pierces right through the screen. Its simplicity should not be taken as a defect, but should be viewed as its strength. Some of my favorite movies possess some of the simplest stories Iâ€™ve seen such as Vittorio De Sicaâ€™s â€˜The Bicycle Thief,â€™ Giuseppe Tornatoreâ€™s â€˜Cinema Paradisoâ€™ and Michael Radfordâ€™s â€˜Il Postino.â€™

Youâ€™re going to fall in love with this film – the characters are easy to like and the vibe is cool. This is a movie that comes from the heart and itâ€™s those projects that stay with you long after you left the theater.

By Jack Rico

2010/04/07 at 12:00am

Reviews

Date Night

04.7.2010 | By Jack Rico |

The new action comedy â€˜Date Nightâ€™ unites two of the funniest comedians in Hollywood in their peak form – Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. Too bad the script wasnâ€™t as funny they are in their respective TV shows. It really is all about the writing. Some jokes worked, other didnâ€™t, therefore it felt choppy and inconsistent. The leads and cameos, by well known stars, were by far the highlights and the action sequences were mildly entertaining. Overall, not a bad film, but it could have been better.

The premise is very empathic. A case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple’s attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening in New York City, into the most thrilling and dangerous night of their lives. Mark Wahlberg guest stars as a security expert that helps them in their plight. James Franco and Mila Kunis do a cameo as a drug dealer named Taste and a stripper called Whippit, known as â€˜The Tripplehornsâ€™, amongst others. The scenes in which they were in were by far the most electric and laugh out loud funny.

Fey is one of the most charming, yet sexy comediennes I have ever seen. Her television show â€˜30 Rockâ€™ exudes the best of what she has to offer. Carrellâ€™s brand of sentimental comedy has come into its own and its visible here. His self deprecating sketches really connect. Regretfully, Date Night doesnâ€™t showcase their complete arsenal of comedy. Some secondary roles like â€˜Gossip Girlâ€™sâ€™ Leighton Meester, Taraji P. Henson, were underutilized and I ask why even have them there? Theyâ€™re strong presences on camera.

The script, by Josh Hausner, looks influenced by scads of films such as Doug Limanâ€™s â€˜Mr. And Mrs. Smith,â€™ Hitchcockâ€™s ‘North by Northwest’ and Martin Scorseseâ€™s greatly underrated â€˜After Hours.â€™ All wonderful films that have established directors attached to them. Not really the case here with director Shawn Levy. He lacks the technical skill and magic to create something last long after youâ€™ve left the theater.

Towards the end, the movie delivers more action than the beginning, including a fun car chase sequence that is over the top. Itâ€™s these moments when you feel that the movie lunges from one big moment to the next and it never takes sufficient time to create a consistent pattern of action or comedy. Itâ€™s a mix that was good, not great.

All in all, go see it and have fun. Fey and Carrell is a comedic dream team that amuse and entertain, sort of the way Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn did in films like â€˜Holidayâ€™ and â€˜The Philadelphia Storyâ€™.