Santa Brings De Niro-Stallone Movie Christmas 2013

Hollywood Heavyweights De Niro and Stallone to Hit the Big Screen on Christmas Day in “Grudge Match”

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Comedy Makes a Move Up from January to 12/25/13

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Grudge Match,” a comedy starring film legends Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone as rivals in the boxing ring, will bow in the holiday season with a Christmas Day debut, moving up from its prior release date of January 10. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Fellman stated, “Results of our early screenings have been outstanding, giving us every indication that 'Grudge Match' is a movie that can excel during the Christmas play period. With the iconic pairing of De Niro and Stallone, surrounded by such a terrific cast—including comedy greats Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin—we felt it was a perfect opportunity to jump into the holidays and give audiences of all ages a chance to enjoy the movie.”

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Grudge Match” stars award-winning movie legends Oscar® winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and Oscar® nominee Sylvester Stallone (the “Rocky” films, “The Expendables”) as old boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one final match. Peter Segal (“Get Smart,” “The Longest Yard”) directs the comedy.

De Niro and Stallone play Billy “The Kid” McDonnen and Henry “Razor” Sharp, two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight. Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers. Thirty years later, boxing promoter Dante Slate Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can’t refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all. But they may not have to wait that long: on their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again.

The film also stars Kevin Hart as Dante Slate Jr.; Oscar® winner Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine,” “Argo”) as Razor’s former trainer, Louis “Lightning” Conlon, who gets to put Razor through his paces again; and Oscar® winner Kim Basinger (“L.A. Confidential”) as Sally Rose, who was once the love of Razor’s life. Rounding out the cast are Jon Bernthal as BJ, who becomes The Kid’s instinctive but untested trainer; and young film newcomer Camden Gray.

Segal is directing from a screenplay by Rodney Rothman, story by Tim Kelleher. The film is being produced by Bill Gerber, Mark Steven Johnson, Michael Ewing and Ravi Mehta. Peter Segal, Jane Rosenthal and Kevin King-Templeton are serving as executive producers.

Collaborating with Segal behind the scenes are: Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Dean Semler (“Dances With Wolves,” “Apocalypto”); production designer Wynn Thomas; editor William Kerr; and costume designer Mary Vogt. Robert Sale, who was the technical advisor on “Rocky Balboa,” is serving as the film’s boxing consultant. The music is by Trevor Rabin.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Gerber Pictures Production, a Callahan Filmworks Production, a Peter Segal film, “Grudge Match.” The film opens December 25, 2013 and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Review: Brad Pitt is the Man in "World War Z"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 46 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


World War Z (2013)
Running time: 116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language and some disturbing images
DIRECTOR: Marc Forster
WRITERS: Matthew Michael Carnahan and Drew Goddard & Damon Lindelof; from a screen story by Matthew Michael Carnahan and J. Michael Straczynski (based on the novel by Max Brooks)
PRODUCERS: Ian Bryce, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Brad Pitt
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Seresin
EDITORS: Matt Chesse and Roger Barton
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, Fana Mokoena, James Badge Dale, Ludi Boeken, Matthew Fox, David Morse, Sterling Jerins, Abigail Hargrove, Fabrizio Zacharee Guido, Peter Capaldi, and Pierfrancesco Favino

Sometimes, I see movies that make me feel like a fanboy – so happy and satisfied to be entertained by my favorite movie stars and filmmakers. Recently, Brad Pitt’s new movie made me a Brad Pitt fanboy.

World War Z is a 2013 horror thriller and zombie movie from director Marc Forster. The film is based on the 2006 novel, World War Z, written by Max Brooks (the son of Mel Brooks). The film stars Brad Pitt as a United Nations employee who is trying to solve the mystery of a zombie pandemic that is threatening to destroy humanity.

World War Z opens in domestic harmony as former United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) prepares breakfast for his wife, Karin (Mireille Enos), and his daughters, Rachel (Abigail Hargrove) and Constance (Sterling Jerins). Later, the family is stuck in heavy traffic in Philadelphia that soon turns to mass bedlam. Crazed people are attacking and biting one another, and the ones who are bitten become like their attackers within ten seconds of being bitten.

Gerry and his family are rescued by a former UN colleague, Thierry Umutoni (Fana Mokoena), the UN Deputy Secretary-General. Gerry learns that a virus has turned into a worldwide outbreak that is turning people into ferocious, rabid zombies, and the ensuing chaos has toppled armies and governments. The outbreak is threatening to destroy humanity itself. Gerry is soon forced to travel the world in a race against time and hope to find a cure for this pandemic.

Plain and simple, World War Z is an action movie. Yes, it is an apocalyptic horror film, a horror thriller, a scary movie, and a zombie movie. However, it moves with the precision of a Jason Bourne movie and throws pitched-battles like a movie about military special operations (such as Tears of the Sun). It is fast-moving and jittery, even when Brad Pitt’s Gerry Lane is being thoughtful and observant. And it is the good movie kind of fast-moving and jittery.

Director Marc Forster orchestrates this Hollywood entertainment product so that it transforms mere spectacle into the spectacular. As far as I’m concerned, this is his most passionate and emotionally-charged film since 2001’s Monster’s Ball, for which Halle Berry won an Oscar.

World War Z is also a Brad Pitt movie, and because Brad is a true movie star and a truly fine actor, he carries the audience with his character Gerry Lane. He carries us on a pulse-pounding thrill ride that makes us (at least, some of us) forget some of the holes in the concept. Our cinematic faith in our movie stars is rewarded when they deliver the goods. In World War Z, Pitt delivers some kind of good.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, June 29, 2013

"Terminator" Reboot Set to Arrive June 2015

SKYDANCE, ANNAPURNA AND PARAMOUNT TO PARTNER ON REBOOTED “TERMINATOR”

PARAMOUNT TO DISTRIBUTE WORLDWIDE ON JUNE 26, 2015

Skydance Productions, Annapurna Pictures and Paramount Pictures have jointly announced they will partner on a rebooted “TERMINATOR” movie, to be released by Paramount Pictures on June 26, 2015.

The first in a stand-alone trilogy, “TERMINATOR” will be produced by Megan Ellison of Annapurna and David Ellison of Skydance. Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake of Skydance will serve as executive producers. Laeta Kalorgridis (“Avatar,” “Shutter Island”) and Patrick Lussier (“Drive Angry”) are attached to write the screenplay.

Launched in 1984 with star Arnold Schwarzenegger as the title character, “TERMINATOR” spanned 3 subsequent films, which have earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

David Ellison most recently executive produced, along with his partners at Paramount, “World War Z,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”. A 5th installment of in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is in active development, along with a 3rd film in the “G.I. Joe” franchise, among other films.

Megan Ellison most recently produced the Academy Award®-nominated “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Master” and executive produced “Spring Breakers” via her Annapurna Pictures banner and has David O. Russell’s “American Hustle,” Spike Jonze’s “Her,” and Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” set for release later this year.


About Skydance Productions
Skydance Productions creates and produces elevated event-level commercial entertainment. In its strategic partnership with Paramount Pictures, the David Ellison-led company co-finances and produces several films per year with the studio in addition to developing their own projects. Paul Schwake serves as chief operating officer and Dana Goldberg is president of production. Skydance recent releases include WORLD WAR Z, starring Brad Pitt, which has already made over $111 million worldwide, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, garnering over $430 million worldwide at the box office and G.I. JOE 2: RETALIATION, starring Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson and has made over $369 million worldwide at the box office. Skydance’s next film, JACK RYAN, from director Kenneth Brannagh and starring Chris Pine, is set for release on December 25, 2013. Skydance’s previous projects include the award-winning Coen Brothers film TRUE GRIT; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL and JACK REACHER.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Annapurna Pictures
Annapurna Pictures is a film production and finance company founded with the goal of boldly creating sophisticated, high-quality and ambitious films that appeal to a variety of audiences. Annapurna’s recent releases include Kathryn Bigelow’s multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated film ZERO DARK THIRTY; Paul Thomas Anderson’s multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated masterpiece THE MASTER; John Hillcoat’s LAWLESS and Andrew Dominik’s KILLING THEM SOFTLY. Annapurna’s most recent project, the 2012 Venice and Toronto break-out hit SPRING BREAKERS, directed by Harmony Korine starring Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and James Franco. Additionally, Annapurna acquired US rights to Wong Kar Wai’s THE GRANDMASTER, the story of martial arts master and Bruce Lee trainer Ip Man will be released later this year. Current projects include the Spike Jonze’s new film HER starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Rooney Mara, and Bennett Miller’s FOXCATCHER which is currently in post-production as well as David O. Russell’s AMERICAN HUSTLE starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, also currently in post-production, and set for a December release by Columbia Pictures. Further, the company has partnered with Nina Jacobson’s Color Force on the best-selling comedic novel Where'd You Go, Bernadette, written by Maria Semple and has partnered with Denver & Delilah and CJ Entertainment on the SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE remake written by William Monahan and starring Charlize Theron. Last spring, the company made a deal to back Panorama Media, which will serve as the international sales agent on select Annapurna projects.

Review: "History of the World: Part I" is as Funny as Ever (Happy B'day, Mel Brooks)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 205 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I (1981)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Mel Brooks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Woody Omens (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John C. Howard
COMPOSER: John Morris

COMEDY/HISTORICAL/MUSICAL

Starring: Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Ron Carey, Gregory Hines, Pamela Stephenson, Shecky Greene, Sid Caesar, Mary-Margaret Humes, Rudy De Luca, Andréas Voutsinas, Spike Milligan, and Orson Welles with Barry Levinson and John Hurt

The subject of this movie review is History of the World: Part I, a 1981 comedy film from writer-director Mel Brooks. The film is a parody the various kinds of historical films, including period costume dramas and sword and sandal epics. The catchphrase “It’s good to be the king” originated in this film. History of the World: Part I contains mock coming attractions for “History of the World: Part II,” but that was a joke, as no actual sequel was planned.

Mel Brooks writes, directs, produces, and plays five roles in his comedy semi-classic, History of the World: Part I. The film can be considered an anthology or a series of vignettes that take a farcical, skewered, and wacky view of history from the dawn of man through the cavemen, the Roman Empire, and the Spanish Inquisition, to the French Revolution. The film also features some appearances by Brooks’ films semi-regulars including Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman.

I can’t imagine why Brooks picked the particular pre-historical and historical periods he did; perhaps, they were the funniest to him or he found in them the most to send up. However, the film is only mildly funny until the Spanish Inquisition segment, which is a musical number with a dance routine that even features water ballet. Both the song and the dance numbers are both awesome and freaking hilarious. Perhaps, the film’s best bit is the closing segment, the French Revolution. Some of the most famous quotations from Mel Brooks’ films come from this side-splitting section. It alone is more than reason enough to see this film.

Most of the jokes here are sight gags and anachronisms, but when Brooks and his cast are “on” in this film, the picture really works, as in the aforementioned second half. It’s worth noting that History of the World: Part I is not a great work, but because of it does have some great moments, it’s not to be missed.

7 of 10
B+

Updated: Friday, June 28, 2013

Review: "Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle" Sputters

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 100 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, sensuality and language/innuendo
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: John August and Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley, from a story by John August (from the television program created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur
Razzie Award winner

ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Lui, Demi Moore, Bernie Mac, Justin Theroux, Robert Patrick, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Crispin Glover, John Cleese, Shia LaBeouf, Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Pink, Jaclyn Smith, Bruce Willis (no screen credit), and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, a 2003 action comedy from director McG. This movie is a direct sequel to the 2000 film, Charlie’s Angels. Both films are based on the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. As in the first film, Full Throttle stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

Charlie’s Angels, the 2000 film remake of the 70-80’s TV show of the same name, was a hoot, a delightful and highly entertaining action/comedy with the guile of a cool Frank Miller comic book. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, the 2003 sequel, is an overblown, way over-the-top Hollywood production that’s way too full of crap, and miraculously, it still manages to be somewhat entertaining.

It’s pointless to even attempt to describe the plot, as it’s muddled nonsense. The real plot involves the indelicate manner in which the filmmakers place Charlie’s Angels in positions and situations that create mondo opportunities for shots of tits and ass. Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Lui) return as Charlie Townsend’s (voice of John Forsythe) high tech-trained, super-powered, manga-like cuties. This time the grrrrls have to retrieve two encrypted rings, which when combined give up the locations of people in the FBI witness relocation program, and wouldn’t the bad guys love to have that info.

McG, the director of the first film, returns to helm this gigantic, flatulent cartoon that is Full Throttle. The script is lame, but all McG has to do is make the pictures look good, and, as a music video director, he knows how to do that. Imagine The Matrix on drain cleaner, Japanese cartoons (anime) on fast forward, soft porn on the rag, and comic books conceived by horny, high school upper classmen and dull-witted sorority boys and you have the Charlie’s Angel's sequel. Don’t get me wrong; there are lots of laughs. It’s difficult to tell if the filmmakers were trying to be clever or if they were cynical enough to believe that audiences really would take it ‘tween the cheeks. The end result is this dumb as a low-rent retard movie.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle parodies action movie clichés…badly, and also throws in a stiff riff from Martin Scorcese’s Cape Fear. It’s just too over the top and too much of a crack-addled cartoon. I did like the way the filmmakers tried to created the vibe of a family extended around the Angels; that actually gave me warm feelings. Still, I was half enthralled and half bored out of my mind. For all the fun I had, there were as many moments when I wondered why the experience of seeing this felt so wasteful. This is simply too much candy, and frankly, unless you really crave an empty movie experience, you can wait for the tape. Someone might tell you that this is a sly, wink-wink, nudge-nudge movie and you have to take it for what it is. If he tries to spin trash as something smart, he is a way-too-easy ho for the big, movie making machine in la-dee-da land.

4 of 10
C

NOTES:
2004 Razzie Awards: 2 wins: “Worst Remake or Sequel” and “Worst Supporting Actress” (Demi Moore); 5 nominations: “Worst Actress” (Drew Barrymore, also for Duplex-2003), “Worst Actress” (Cameron Diaz), “Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie” (All Concept/No Content!), “Worst Picture” (Columbia), and “Worst Screenplay” (John August-also story, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

Review: "Charlie’s Angels" Pure Pop Pleasure

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 99 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels (2000)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, innuendo and some sensuality/nudity
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August (from the television series by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Peter Teschner and Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur

ACTION/COMEDY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Kelly Lynch, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Tom Green, LL Cool J, and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels, a 2000 action comedy from director McG (the stage name of Joseph McGinty Nichol). The film is an adaptation of the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. The film stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

When I first saw Charlie’s Angels, the big-screen adaptation of the late 70’s television series of the same name, I was sure that it was the best action/comedy that I’d seen in years, if ever. Having seen it again in anticipation of the 2003 sequel, I’m sure that it is one of the best action movies I’ve ever seen and one of the best action/comedies ever made. Although the film’s tongue is firmly planted in the Angel’s cheeks and the film is geared towards men, it’s so very entertaining that everyone should get the joke.

The mysterious Charles “Charlie” Townsend (voice of John Forsythe) has three very special little ladies in his employ: Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu). Under the supervision of John Bosley (Bill Murray), Charlie’s Angels use martial arts, high tech skills, and sex appeal in their investigation work for clients who can afford Charlie’s agency. This time the client is kidnap victim Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) who runs a giant software company. The girls not only have to rescue him, but also have to retrieve Knox’s revolutionary voice-ID software. However, the girls run into more than they were told to expect, including a sleazy billionaire (Tim Curry) and his mysterious, tall, thin, ass-kickin’ bodyguard (Crispin Glover).

Directed by music video maestro McG (videos for Korn and Sugar Ray, among others), Charlie's Angels is a high-octane, comic book-styled, action movie parody and farce. None of it should be taken seriously, least of all its conspiracy-within-a-conspiracy script. This is played for fun, recalling the best action movie scenes and clichés: car chases, exploding buildings, pumping soundtrack, quick-cut editing, and Matrix-style “wire-fu” martial arts. Maybe the funniest thing about this film is that this time women do the butt stomping. Usually in action movies, the girls are just the hang-ons of the male stars, following them around and screaming at the appropriate moments during gun fights, fist fights, car chases, aircraft falling out the sky, explosions, etc. This time the girls are in control. This time their sex appeal rules the story instead of just being sex used to decorate the violence. The ladies kick the butts and leave the men panting.

It’s all done so stylishly, and it’s all good and so cool. The vapid material gets inspired performances from the cast, but the actors really make this fun to watch. Bill Murray is tired though. His Bosley is just him doing his shtick, but it is so uninspired that he should have been embarrassed to see himself in the finished product. He was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.

But don’t let that keep you from watching this funny, exciting, and very wild action cartoon. Come on. Pull the stick out. Sit back and be entertained by this delicious serving of popcorn movie.

7 or 10
B+

NOTES:
2001 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Song” (Jean Claude Olivier-Writer, Samuel Barnes-Writer, Cory Rooney-Writer, Beyoncé Knowles-Writer, and Destiny’s Child-Performers for the song “Independent Women Part 1”)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

New "Transformers 4" Car - June 25, 2013

Another new car from Michael Bay's Transformers 4!

Considered a masterpiece of design and engineering, this fierce, 2013 blood red Pagani Huayra, is named after an ancient Andean God of Wind.