Cinematical

Live from SDCC: Preview Night Gallery!

Erik Davis — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Festival Reports, Fandom, Exhibition, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Images, ComicCon

Cinematical fought through the massive crowds tonight on the convention floor to bring you tons and tons of photos from the 2008 San Diego Comic Con Preview Night. While we didn't spot too many people dressed in costume (except for a group doing a Batman theme), there were some very, very cool toys, games, statues, posters and movie props. Among the larger attractions was Nite Owl's ship from Watchmen (pictured below -- see inside by clicking through the gallery), a huge Iron Monger statue (in gallery), James Bond's hot set of wheels (in gallery), a ginormous Star Wars exhibit, with Star Wars: The Clone Wars statues alongside dudes in Storm Trooper attire (pictured above), as well as monitors displaying the new video game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (which looks hella cool).

Check out a few images from Preview Night below, then definitely make sure to head on over to the gallery to see what this year's San Diego Con is all about.

P.S. Masters of the Web panel tomorrow morning, 10am. Be there! Say hello! Make it look like I have friends!

Nite Owl's ship from Watchmen (more images from inside the thing down in the gallery).

Our friends in Batman gear!

Cinematical's Official Comic Con Hub

Gallery: 2008 Comic Con Preview Night

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SDCC Update: 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Poster!

Erik Davis — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Images, ComicCon, Posters

Walking around Preview Night here at San Diego Comic Con and, well, we kinda stumbled upon this poster (click image to enlarge) for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The film wasn't supposed to have a major presence here at Con, so it's nice to at least see a poster for the flick, which hits theaters on May 1, 2009. We'll have a whole bunch of photos for you from Preview Night here at Con in just a little bit -- in the meantime, what do you think about this poster? Does it get you excited for the film? Starring Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Danny Huston, X-Men Origins: Wolverine will claw its way into theaters next summer.

For complete coverage of the 2008 San Diego International Comic Con, check out the official Cinematical Comic Con Hub.

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Fan Rant: Critics of 'The Dark Knight' Are Allowed to Hate

Eric Kohn — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:32:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Drama, Casting, New Releases, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Columns

Look, I thought The Dark Knight had a lot of strong selling points: Combine a deft pace with thoughtful characterizations and a whopping IMAX design that turns the entire experience into a plot-driven theme park ride, and you've got one hefty dose of Batman adrenaline.

Still, comparisons to The Godfather Part II notwithstanding, The Dark Knight isn't foolproof -- in fact, no single movie in history is foolproof. The subjective experience of movie watching ensures that nothing can be universally liked by everyone, and rules of civility insist that humanity respect that truism. It's acceptable to feel passionately about a great work of art, and defend that perspective with rigorous argumentation, but much of the outrage over the minority perspective that The Dark Knight isn't any good has made such practical thinking impossible.

Deemed the first critic to pan the movie, New York's David Edelstein went out of his way to list the allegations against him sent along by various Batman fans. The House Next Door editor Keith Uhlich, meanwhile, fielded over a hundred rants in the comments section following his astute critique of director Christopher Nolan's questionable portrayals of violence. What's particularly shocking about this frightful deluge of negative responses is that many of these people began posting their disapproval before they even saw the movie.

Continue reading Fan Rant: Critics of 'The Dark Knight' Are Allowed to Hate

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Guy Maddin Inspires British Contest

Monika Bartyzel — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:02:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Fandom, Contests, Cinematical Indie

One of the greatest things about Guy Maddin is that his accomplishments come out of creativity and a spot-on eye, rather than money and flashy technology. Give the man an old camera, a few actors, and some weird props, and he can make a film that's not only engaging, but also visually stunning. He knows how to make the least become the most, and with the release of My Winnipeg, he's now inspiring others to do the same.

Jam! reports that UK filmmakers are getting a change to get their Maddin on. Both newbie and experienced filmmakers are getting the chance to submit 3-minute odes to their hometown, and Guy says "anything's eligible." Considering the lap-linked Winnipeg, it's not surprising that the doors are wide open...

Anyhow, the online contest is going to give out 1,500 pounds to the winner and a roundtrip flight to ... dum dum dum ... WINNIPEG! Sure, they also get their film screened and included on the UK's DVD release of My Winnipeg. But who cares when you can head to the snowy wonderland? I'm hoping the winner at least gets to choose the season.

If you want more information, head here.

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Marguiles, Mortimer, and Arkin Head to 'City Island'

Monika Bartyzel — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:32:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Casting, Cinematical Indie

The whole idea of secret children who come out of the woodwork is challenging as it is. Should the secret be revealed, or should it stay hidden? How do you make up for lost years? How do you integrate them into the family? Now, imagine that you're part of the law, and you find out that your secret kid is in jail. That's the basic idea behind a new indie comedy called City Island, and The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, and Alan Arkin have joined the cast.

Andy Garcia had previously signed on to play Vince Rizzo, "a Bronx prison official who realizes that an inmate (Steven Strait) is his secret love child. His efforts to become his guardian lead to comic complications." Marguiles is taking on the role of Garcia's wife, and it seems that the man is also looking to become an actor because Arkin will play a teacher in the acting class, and Mortimer will be a fellow student he becomes friends with. Garcia's real-life daughter Dominik Garcia-Lorido will play his daughter, and Ezra Miller has also nabbed an undisclosed part.

I really don't know how all of this acting works into prison officials and long-lost bad boy sons, but we should see soon enough. The film went into production this week in the Bronx.

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'Zack and Miri' Gets the Dreaded NC-17

Peter Martin — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Celebrities and Controversy, The Weinstein Co., ComicCon

What can you expect from the MPAA when you make a movie with "some some graphic sexuality"? Yup, the kiss of death. Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno has been slapped with a rating of NC-17 by the MPAA, according to a list posted today by The Hollywood Reporter.

The rating was posted on the MPAA film ratings site at least as early as last Saturday, but News Askew noted that it was marked as "pending appeal" and had received the rating for "some graphic sexuality." I just checked the MPAA's site, and now the film doesn't show up at all. What happened? Was the appeal lost? Will cuts be made to secure the R rating? Who made the "some some" typo -- the MPAA or THR?

The ratings tussle is not entirely unexpected. Seth Rogen complained about the MPAA last month because of the film's difficulty in securing an R rating, and Smith took down a raunchy online-only teaser until the MPAA approved it. I would imagine that Smith is contractually obligated to deliver an R-rated version, but I wonder what nightmares he faces to please the MPAA?

As it happens, Smith will appear at Comic Con on Friday evening to talk about his film, and I'm sure he'll have something to say about the rating. Zack and Miri Make a Porno is still due to hit theaters on October 31.

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Fox Signs On for a Live-Action 'Cowboy Bebop'

Jessica Barnes — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:35:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, 20th Century Fox, Comic/Superhero/Geek

For all the anime fans who hoped that certain titles would remain out of the grasp of Hollywood; I have some bad news for you. According to iFMagazine, Fox has given the green-light for a live-action version of the classic animated series, Cowboy Bebop. During the Television Critics Association press tour, producer Erwin Stoff let it slip that he now has a deal in place with Fox studios to bring the popular series to the big screen. Stoff told journalists, "I'm developing COWBOY BEBOP for Fox, but doing it as a live-action film, so I'm working on that at the moment, I'm really excited to be working on it, and it's in the really early stages. We just signed it the other day."

For the uninitiated; Cowboy Bebop was the story of a group of bounty hunters and their adventures aboard their ship, Bebop, in the year 2071. The series was a huge success in both Japan and in the US, and even spawned an animated film back in 2002.

For fans who might be worried that Cowboy could suffer the same fate as other anime-inspired flicks, there is a silver lining. Stoff promised that, "I have such an enormous admiration for its creators, that our first and foremost concern is going to be a real degree of faithfulness to the tone of the movie, to the mix of genres, and so on and so forth," -- I don't want to sound too cynical, but it's not like we haven't heard that one before.

Now on to the more important question: Who should take over for Jet Black and the gang on the big screen? Sound off below...

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Asian Cinema Scene: 'Seven Samurai' Remade for Pachinko

Peter Martin — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:14:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Foreign Language, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels

Prepare to roll your eyes in disbelief. The remake of Akira Kurosawa's venerated classic The Seven Samurai has been completed. But it's not the one planned by The Weinstein Co. And it's scored to The Rolling Stones?!!

Let's clarify: Don Brown at ryugangi says that Hiroyuki Nakano, director of the excessively stylish Samurai Fiction and Red Shadow, has been busy creating a new version of Samurai for a pachinko machine. (Yes, you read that right.) The official site features a half-dozen clips. The ones I've watched look surprisingly good and faithful to the spirit of the original -- except, er, for Mick Jagger singing "Paint It Black," "Jumping Jack Flash," and "Satisfaction."

How could this happen? Kurosawa's son Hisao has reportedly irked many by licensing his father's films and image for everything from remakes to a canned coffee commercial. Seven Samurai itself was made into a video game in 2004 (Seven Samurai 20XX) that was recently named one of the worst movie games ever by Wired.com. The same Japanese company that produced the video game (Sammy) also makes pachinko games, so I suppose this was inevitable.

Initially, I thought the article was either a bad joke or a slam at Nakano's directing style. Surely this was an advance peek at the Weinsteins' remake. But that project won't start shooting until later this year and the cast will feature American, European and Asian stars (per Variety), not just the Japanese actors pictured. My eyes are still rolling.

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Live from SDCC: Time to Get Our Con On!

Erik Davis — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Festival Reports, Fandom, Images, ComicCon

Cinematical has officially arrived in beautiful, sunny San Diego! We somehow found a way to get our press badge before anyone else, and I'm here with our first 2008 San Diego Comic Con gallery -- featuring images of all the cool little goodies they gave me when I picked up my badge. Among the lot, there was an issue of Mad Magazine that tackles Botchmen (instead of Watchmen), trading cards, stuff on the new Batman LEGO video game and a massive events guide. They'll be letting us into the convention in just a few hours for preview night, so I'll slide in there and see if I can't bring back anything cool to show you. But before we get to the gallery, let me just say this: If you've never been to San Diego, get your ass over here because this town is gorgeous!

Last thing (and most importantly): Check out Cinematical's official Comic Con hub for all the latest and greatest from San Diego, as well as Moviefone's awesome Con hub. It just launched now and it's a little empty (and lonely), but we'll be filling her up soon enough.

Time to get our Con on fools! Be back later ...

Gallery: Comic Con 2008 Arrival

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Film Blog Group Hug: The 'Twilight' Edition

Kim Voynar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:07:00 EST

Filed under: Casting, Fandom, Exhibition, Newsstand, Movie Marketing

Boy, you miss a few weeks work to move 2,000 miles, and you fall behind on all kinds of things going on in the world of Twilight. All you Twilighters have, no doubt, been keeping up to speed with everything that's been going on out there -- you're making plans to attend Breaking Dawn parties, planning what you're going to wear, entering giveaway contests, and getting your Twilight-inspired costumes put together (who knew there were so many varieties of vampire fangs out there?).

I know, you have it much more together than I do on all the Twilight madness, but hey, I've been on the road with four kids, a dog and a cat all crammed into a 1998 Ford Windstar, moving back to Seattle, so I'm just now getting around to catching up. So here's a rundown of all-things Twilight for you -- in case you, like me, have been having a busy summer.

Continue reading Film Blog Group Hug: The 'Twilight' Edition

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News Bites: Murray Flies Through the Air & 'Roger Dodger' Reunion

Monika Bartyzel — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Casting, Exhibition, Home Entertainment

We've seen Bill Murray do a lot over the years, but have we ever seen him as a tried and true, REAL stuntman? Jam! reports that the actor has signed on to parachute from a plane for an appearance at the Chicago Air and Water Show that's taking place next month. If planes buzzing about isn't something that appeals to you, maybe Murray descending from the sky will? He will perform a tandem jump with the Golden Knights skydiving team on August 15. That's a way to get new viewers -- come watch celebrities fall from the sky!

Meanwhile... Are you a Roger Dodger fan? If you haven't seen this flick, you should run out and rent it, pronto. Campbell Scott stars as an uncle who takes his young nephew (Jesse Eisenberg) out on a night on the town to teach him the ways of male adulthood. While at a bar, they come across Elizabeth Berkley and Jennifer Beals, who spend some time with the pair. Now EW has found out that the two ladies are reuniting on the final season of The L Word. Instead of playing friends who do what they can to help young Nick become a man, the Showgirls star will play the straight girl who got away from Beals' Bette in college. Oh, the possibilities!

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Miley Cyrus' Stints with Sexiness #302

Monika Bartyzel — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Casting, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy

We've had the racy private photos, then the controversial Vanity Fair shoot, then wishes for a new Sex and the City. Now, Miley Cyrus' name is being attached to yet another racy-themed gig. According to MSNBC, sources are buzzing and rumors are mounting about a new project for the itching-to-age actress -- one that's making the whole racy mag shoot seem like a stepping stone into adult work.

Rumor has it that she's interested in starring in a big-screen adaptation of the annoyingly spelled Undiscovered Gyrl, a novel by Allison Burnett that is currently being shopped around. The novel is a blog from a suburban girl "who descends into a life of reckless partying and promiscuity," and there would definitely be nude scenes. Charming. Chances are, this is a buzz-generator for the book, but it could also be a buzz generator for Cyrus. Even if she doesn't take on this gig, she's getting lots of mileage out of the "Miley wants to grow up" rumor mill.

But really, if she wants to break out of the tween girl persona, the best bet is not raciness and a Britney Spears life path, but rather a few good films that give her some drama, or smarts, at her own age. You can break out of family fare without stripping and showing off the merchandise.

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From Page to Screen: 'Beowulf'

Eugene Novikov — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, From Page to Screen

Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf took a lot of hits for its perceived silliness, a verdict I could never quite sign on to. First of all, silly compared to what? Have these people seen the 1999 space opera Beowulf starring Christopher Lambert? Compared to that, Zemeckis's Beowulf is a sober meditation on the human condition. Have they seen the Gerard Butler clunker Beowulf and Grendel? Come on, guys: considering what the movies have done to this story in the past, last year's high-tech effort seems like serious business to me.

What about the source material - the ancient Old English epic poem upon which these movies purport to be based? If you've ever read it (or tried to read it), the perversions of the adaptations shouldn't surprise you. It's both begging for action movie treatment and impossible to faithfully adapt into anything resembling a compelling action movie. The story is credited with generating many of the archetypes we see in our fiction, and indeed, it's so archetypical that by modern standards, it's a skeleton; there's nothing there.

Seriously - you know how people complain about movies whose plots can be fully described in one sentence? A faithful Beowulf would take this phenomenon to new heights. A synopsis would read something like this: Beowulf beats up Grendel, Grendel's mom, and a dragon, and dies. The end. Some complained that the Zemeckis version distorted Beowulf, but I'd have liked to see their reaction to an undistorted adaptation. Trust me, it wouldn't work. There's a reason that all these screenwriters have scrambled to add elements to the story.

Continue reading From Page to Screen: 'Beowulf'

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Review: Boy A

Christopher Campbell — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Theatrical Reviews, The Weinstein Co., Cinematical Indie

Movies about ex-convicts and their difficulty assimilating back into society generally begin with the prison release, during which the protagonist typically looks downright miserable. At first thought, I recall the opening of Vincent Gallo's Buffalo '66, which ironically exaggerates the hopelessness of post-incarceration by adding a lack of a public restroom to the list of things the former jailbird is without. But at the beginning of John Crowley's new film, Boy A, the titular young man being turned back into the world is high-browed and smiling from ear to ear. And this change from the expected norm really drew me into the film immediately.

Perhaps the difference is that for most films about ex-cons, the hero doesn't have a very good chance at starting over. For "Boy A," however, there's a literal reinvention taking place. In the first scene, the young man (Andrew Garfield) sits with his caseworker, Terry (Peter Mullan), and discusses the details of his release, which include his receiving a new home, a new job and, most importantly, a new identity -- he chooses the name "Jack." Also, rather symbolically, Terry hands Jack a gift, a pair of sneakers that unintentionally represents the young man's ability to comfortably run away from his former life.

Continue reading Review: Boy A

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What Happens When Terrorists Attack Vegas?

Monika Bartyzel — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Deals

This new project sounds so incredibly cheesy that I sort of expect Steven Seagal to show up in mob attire, and Sylvester Stallone to turn up as a terrorist or something and have an epic, muscley battle. Get this -- The Hollywood Reporter has posted that producers Moritz Borman and Peter Graves have scored the film rights to a novel called The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending by Jon Land.

The flick will follow a guy named Michael "The Tyrant" Tiranno (modeled on entrepreneur Fabrizio Boccardi), who was raised by a don from the Sicilian Mafia and becomes a real estate mogul. He builds a Las Vegas casino called Seven Sins that gets targeted, along with three other casinos, by suicidal car bombers believed to be Islamic terrorists. So of course, The Tyrant sets out to find the man responsible, which leads him to antique secrets and nonstop action.

The plan is to make this whole puppy a franchise, and I have to say -- I'm sort of glad. I'd much rather have a new weird action plot than more Rambos or other '80s franchises. But what about you? Are you hungry for The Tyrant?

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Video Fix: 'Dark Knight' Cameos -- Stuka

Monika Bartyzel — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips

This latest cameo in The Dark Knight made be both happy and disappointed. You see, Nicky Katt is so much more than just the Stuka shtick. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out the clip above. Basically, it's the dude being super, extra talkative when most other people probably wouldn't. In Sin City, that meant blabbering on after getting an arrow right through your torso. In TDK, that means going on and on about how the high-speed chase just isn't good.

Yes, that super-talkative cop from the chase scene is none other than Nicky Katt, Stuka, the detective in The Brave One, the puss-filled guy in Planet Terror, the Carnoburger Cashier in The Doom Generation, and the marijuana-smoking Clint in Dazed and Confused.

I'm happy to see him wherever he pops up, but please -- Hollywood Powers that Be, don't relegate Katt to just over-talkative guys in the action. He's so much more than light-tongued typecasting!

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Summit Picks Up Film Rights to Virgin Comic 'The Leaves'

Jessica Barnes — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Deals, Comic/Superhero/Geek

Virgin Comics is still relatively new to the game, and while the big daddies of the comic book world have been enjoying their time on the big screen; Virgin has been steadily making deals for a little box-office success of their own (especially considering that was what the company was designed to do in the first place). Variety now reports that Virgin has sold the film rights to their latest comic, The Leaves, to Summit Entertainment.

The Leaves was inspired by tales of Naadi fortune-tellers and one man's extraordinary experience. The story centers on Max Mellick, a world-renowned heart surgeon with a beautiful girlfriend and luxurious New York lifestyle. While attending a friend's funeral in India, a fortune-teller tells Max that he will be responsible for bringing about the end of the world. But, Dr. Max isn't the apocalyptic-type, so he goes on the run in the hopes of finding a way to escape his destiny.

Leaves was only released a few days ago, but that hasn't stopped Summit from snapping up the title for a feature film remake. Leaves was written by Kevin J. Walsh and he will also adapt the story into an action thriller for the big screen. Virgin's Creative Director, Gotham Chopra (son to Deepak) will produce the film alongside CEO Sharad Devarajan. I just hope Summit can get Virgin moving a little faster on this project than they have with The Megas.

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Bryan Singer is One of Those 'Capeshooters'

Elisabeth Rappe — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Deals, Warner Brothers, Scripts, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek

With The Dark Knight and Watchmen on everyone's mind, we are going to get a lot of dark and edgy "superhero" movies, centered on stories that tear down the myth of the caped crusader and show them to be the flawed individuals they truly are.

Capeshooters is the latest to tear off the Spandex. According to Variety, it's based on an upcoming comic book by Rob Liefield, cofounder of Image Comics, and will be produced by none other than Bryan Singer. After filming so many good superheroes Singer is apparently interested in exploring the "darker side of the subject." The timing, coming so soon after Tony Stark graced the screen, is probably coincidental.

So, what is particularly dark about this deconstruction? The TMZ angle! Capeshooters revolves around two slackers turned paparazzi, who specialize in shooting covert videos of superheroes. (And speaking of Stark, he probably would have loads of those videos. Wolverine, too.) They find themselves on the run after they stumble onto evidence that one particularly beloved hero is, in fact, a villain. (Harvey Dent, say it ain't so!)

It all depends on the upcoming comic book, of course, but it sounds like Watchmen already did this. And better. Still, you can't blame writers for trying to walk a mile in Alan Moore's shoes, can you? Perhaps the book will be more unique than it looks from this angle.

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Robert Hoffman Has 'The Beat'

Monika Bartyzel — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Music & Musicals, Casting, Scripts, Cinematical Indie

It used to be that the musicians with the beat were the Go Gos. Now the beat is getting manly. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that there's a new indie '80s comedy on the way called We Got the Beat, and Robert Hoffman has just joined the cast. He's been dancing his butt off in a bunch of films and most recently got to groove in the rain with Briana Evigan in Step Up 2.

Written and directed by John Artigo, the film follows "Brad, a high school football player who sets out to prove he's more than just a jock by quitting the team and turning his heavy metal band into a pioneering boy band." But that's not who Hoffman is playing -- he gets to be "Garth, the boy-toy and live-in lover of Brad's mother."

This sounds like one of those films that could be terribly bad, or terribly good. Here's to hoping it's all set to real '80s music and is awesome. The indie begins filming this month.

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From 'Cape Fear' to 'Elm Street': Reboot Writer Hired

Peter Martin — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:03:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Deals, New Line, Remakes and Sequels

Frankly, the news that a screenwriter had been hired to pen the latest installment in a horror franchise would not normally merit much attention.(Other than from the writer's agent and immediate family.) But when we're talking Wesley Strick and A Nightmare on Elm Street, my curiosity soared.

New Line Cinema has hired Strick to create their new version of Nightmare, according to The Hollywood Reporter. One of his first credits was as co-writer of Arachnophobia, Frank Marshall's clever creature feature, followed by Martin Scorsese's heavy-handed remake of Cape Fear, and later Mike Nichols' post-modern Wolf. His other credits include Final Analysis, The Saint, The Glass House and Doom.

While it's always tricky to assign credit or blame based solely on screen credits, I think it's safe to say that Strick has a distinct track record: complex psychological tension, sarcastic humor, and mucho macho boom boom (to coin a phrase for his uber-male characters). I'm not saying that all of these elements succeed in every movie he's had a hand in writing, but I am hopeful that Strick can come up with a fresh twist on Freddy Krueger.

The new Nightmare will retain the high school setting and "delve deeper in the psychology of nightmares and Krueger himself. The plan is to have a dark tone." If the plan is also to forget about a PG-13 rating, so much the better. New Line aims to release the film in time for the 25th anniversary of the original -- which would be November 2009.

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