Movies36

I ran across the new Got Milk? poster and just had to share. 

Johnny may have a clean cut look for this film but he’s still a bad boy.  Depp plays the part of John Dillinger in the upcoming movie Public Enemies.  He’s joined by Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis and Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd.  If they gave nominations for the film with the most eye candy this would definitely be a contender.

If you’d like to be part of the movie there’s still time.  A prison scene will be filmed in Joliet, Illinois and there is a casting call out for slim built men 6″1′ or under to play police officers.

For more information check out this article from the Daily Journal.

Cameron has gone bald for her role in My Sister’s Keeper.  Based on the book by Jodi Piccoult it tells the tale of Anna (Abigail Breslin) who has had a number of medical procedures by the time she’s thirteen even though she isn’t sick herself.  She does this to help her sister (Cameron Diaz) fight leukemia.  As a matter of fact Anna was conceived for that very purpose.  But after years of painful procedures she’s beginning to question her lot in life and to make some hard decisions about whether or not she will continue to make sacrifices for her sister.

Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook, John Q) is directing and Jeremy Leven (Legend of Baggar Vance, the Notebook, Alex & Emma) wrote the screenplay.  The pair of them made magic with The Notebook and I expect no less with this film.

Joan Cusak and Alec Baldwin round out the cast.  If you’ve ever read any of Jodi Piccoults books then you’ll know to bring a box of tissue to the theater. 

This film will be released sometime next year.

Megan Fox is starring in the upcoming film Jennifer’s Body.  The story is about a cheerleader who is possessed because of a Satanic rock band.  She begins feeding off of the local boys forcing her average looking BFF to kill her.  Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Solstice) plays the part of Megan’s friend Needy Lesnicky.  Needy must escape from a correctional institute and search for the band who started this mess in the first place.

Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Aeon Flux) is directing and Oscar winning Juno writer Diablo Cody penned the screenplay.  In spite of that I still have reservations about this film.  For one they can’t seem to categorize it.  IMDb lists is as a comedy/horror/sci-fi/thriller.  Throw in romantic drama and we’ve covered all genres.  Next rumors of a topless Megan Fox luring boys into the woods and Amanda and Megan fighting in their underwear may drive a number of viewers to the box office but will it make a good movie.

If Diablo can make an Oscar winner out of this one then she’s brilliant.

13 Going on 30 Director Gary Winick is currently filming Bride Wars.  It’s about two best friends who turn into enemies when they find that they’ve scheduled their weddings on the same day.  And it appears that Kate Hudson has dyed her hair blue for the part.  With any luck she has a great hairdresser, I think blue is the hardest color to get out.

Anyways, other actors in this film include Candice Bergen, Ann Hathaway, One Tree Hill star Bryan Greenberg, Kristen Johnston (Music and Lyrics), and Steve Howey (Van from Reba).

Karen McCullah Lutz is the writer on this project.  She also did the screenplays for 10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde, Ella Enchanted and She’s the Man so I think she’ll be great teamed with Gary on this one.  It’s slated for release next year.  Since it’s a romantic comedy we can probably expect to see it in the spring or summer.

Sydney Pollack died on Memorial Day at his home in Pacific Palisades at the age of 73.  He was diagnosed with cancer about nine months ago according to his pulicist.  He directed some of my favorite films so lets dedicate our next Movie Marathon Day to him.

• Out of Africa recieved 7 Academy Awards.  One of them went to Pollack as Best Director.  This 1985 film stars Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.

• Tootsie is one of my favorites and was nominated for 9 Academy Awards.  Jessica Lange took home the trophy for Best Supporting Actress.  The cast of this wonderful film includes Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray and Geena Davis.  Pollack played a small role in this film as well.

• They Shoot Horses Don’t They? recieved ten nominations with  Gig Young taking home the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.  This is the story of a group of people participating in an almost inhuman dance marathon.  Jane Fonda, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons and Bonnie Bedelia star in this heartbreaking movie.

• Sabrina (1995) is one of my favorites.  It was nominated for two Oscars.  The film stars Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond and Greg Kinnear.  It’s the classic love triangle crossed with a Cinderella story.  Of course the original with Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and William Holden is wonderful as well.

Of course if these aren’t up your alley you can try Jeremiah Johnson, Absence of Malice, The Firm or The Interpreter.

Pollack was an actor as well as a director and producer.  He most recently appeared in Made of Honor which is now in theaters.  Other films you’ll find him in are Death Becomes Her, Eyes Wide Shut, Changing Lanes, Random Hearts, and Michael Clayton.

In a recent interview with MTV Steve Carell said “It’s the best attitude to go into a movie: Just try not to make it suck.”  According to the reaction that previews have met, Steve attained his goal.  It was the intention of Steve and director Peter Segal (Tommy Boy, The Longest Yard) to make a movie similar to The Bourne Identity only funny.

In one scene Max (Carell) is mistaken for a terrorist on an airplane.  He accidentally nicks himself with a spear gun and eventually escapes the airplane sans parachute.  He and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) are pursued by a KAOS agent and a fistfight ensues mid-air.  Steve Carell’s lack of stunt experience was actually helpful in this case.

Bill Murray appears briefly as Agent 13 and original Get Smart cast members Bernie Kopell (Siegried) and  Leonard Stern (original producer) both do cameos for the film.  Barbara Feldon the original Agent 99 was approached also but she no longer performs.  Hymie the robot is in this movie as well with Patrick Warburton playing the part.

While Ann admits that Steve got the best gadgets she’s pleased with the ones that she had.  Steve says that he’s “very, very proud of my work in my lingerie scene . . . . If people don’t come to theaters in droves, specifically for that scene, then I have no idea what I’m doing.”  Evidently he’s wearing a thong in this scene.

 Whether you’re a fan of the original Get Smart or this will be your first look at it, this movie sounds like a ton of fun.  It hits theaters June 20.

Director Walt Becker has gone from Wild Hogs to Old Dogs.  Written by David Diamond and David Weissman who brought us Evolution and The Family Man, this film is based on the theme that old dogs can learn new tricks.  John Travolta and Robin Williams play the parts of business partners and are happy with their lives until Travolta’s character is confronted with a set of twins that he was unaware he’d fathered.  His seven year old daughter Ella Bleu Travolta (no comment) makes her acting debut playing twins in this film.  His wife in real life, Kelly Preston is in the movie as well making it a real family affair.  This will be the first time John and Kelly have made a movie together since their 1989 film The Experts.

Other stars include Lori Loughlin, Matt Dillon, Dax Shepard, Rita Wilson and  Bernie Mac.  I’m glad to see Lori Loughlin included in this stellar cast.  She’s done a lot of television but this will be her first really big film. 

This film is scheduled for release April 10,2009

Warwick Davis first came to my attention in the movie Willow.  He plays the part of a reluctant hero, Willow Ufgood.  His mission is to take a human baby that was discovered by his children and find someone to leave it with.  What he doesn’t know is the baby is the only one that can defeat the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh).  Willow teams up with an unlikely partner named Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) and together they set off to find someone to take the baby.  In the meantime, the Queen’s daughter Sorsha(Joanne Walley) and her soldiers are searching for the baby Elora Danon (Ruth and Kate Greenfield) in order to destroy it.  Of course, there are chases, sword fights, and a couple of pesky browines who are along for the ride.  This film was directed by Ron Howard and the story was written by George Lucas so it’s hard to go wrong.   If you haven’t seen this film it’s great family fun.

If you’re having a Movie Marathon Day try these Warwick Davis classics:

• Willow
• Return of the Jedi
• Any of the Leprechaun movies
• The Phantom Menace
• Any of the Harry Potter films
• The Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Or you can hit the theaters and see him in the latest installment of the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian.

The Ugly Truth is a film about a morning show producer (Katherine Heigl) who has been unlucky in love.  Her male chauvinist correspondant (Gerard Butler) sets up a series of relationship tests.  Robert Luketic of Legally Blonde and Monster in Law is directing and the screen play was penned by newbie Nicole Eastman.

What’s actually more interesting than the film itself at this point is the fact that it’s producer Tom Rosenberg recently testified at Tony Rezko’s trial.  Even better, he plugged the movie on the witness stand.  No kidding.  Rezko is on trial for corruption and his name has been linked to Barrack Obama.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see how that one plays out.

Anyways, other stars of this film are Cheryl Hines (Herbie Fully Loaded, Keeping Up with the Steins, Waitress), Eric Winter (Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay), and Bree Turner (Sorority Boys, Firehouse Dog).

The film is slated for release on April 3, 2009