[[tmz:video id="0_uxiqszlg"]] Tyson Beckford unloaded on Matt Damon ... essentially calling him 2-faced on the gun issue. Tyson was leaving Katana in West Hollywood when he scoffed at Damon -- who has spoken out against rampant gun ownership -- but is banking millions by toting guns in the "Jason Bourne" flicks. Read more...
- 8/3/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
The UK has seen a pretty awesome summer in 2013 compared to recent years. But as brilliant as constant sunshine is a welcome change to the usual rain in June or snow in April, some of us here at Digital Spy can't help but choose autumn as our favourite season of the year. And autumn has arrived today!
Sun is still around, a cool breeze is in the year, trees and falling leaves look like a beautiful painting, and we can start wearing cosy jumpers. So for those who love this time of year, DS has compiled a list of 12 great autumnal movies for the 12 equinox hours to get you in the mood.
The Lake House
While the time-travel elements may be confusing and make little sense, this underrated gem reunites Speed's Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in a film that really showcases the beauty of autumn throughout.
With much...
Sun is still around, a cool breeze is in the year, trees and falling leaves look like a beautiful painting, and we can start wearing cosy jumpers. So for those who love this time of year, DS has compiled a list of 12 great autumnal movies for the 12 equinox hours to get you in the mood.
The Lake House
While the time-travel elements may be confusing and make little sense, this underrated gem reunites Speed's Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in a film that really showcases the beauty of autumn throughout.
With much...
- 9/23/2015
- Digital Spy
To date, 20th Century Fox has supplemented its riveting full-length trailers for Ridley Scott’s The Martian with a trio of viral clips, designed to introduce the cast and crew of the Ares-3 before they embark on their daring mission to the Red Planet. Chief among those has been the character psych tests, allowing us to gain a gist of the personalities of the leading members of the crew, specifically Matt Damon’s cocksure Mark Watney and Jessica Chastian’s commander, Melissa Lewis.
Adopting a slightly different tactic this time around, the studio has unveiled an informative clip that stars famed American astrophysicist and cosmologist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, who channels his screen presence from the Carl Sagan-inspired Cosmos series to guide you from our pale blue dot across the solar system and onto Mars. It’s a neat, if self-indulgent, tease for The Martian, with Tyson documenting all of...
Adopting a slightly different tactic this time around, the studio has unveiled an informative clip that stars famed American astrophysicist and cosmologist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, who channels his screen presence from the Carl Sagan-inspired Cosmos series to guide you from our pale blue dot across the solar system and onto Mars. It’s a neat, if self-indulgent, tease for The Martian, with Tyson documenting all of...
- 8/28/2015
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
The UK has seen a pretty awesome summer in 2013 compared to recent years. But as brilliant as constant sunshine is a welcome change to the usual rain in June or snow in April, some of us here at Digital Spy can't help but choose autumn as our favourite season of the year. And autumn has arrived today!
Sun is still around, a cool breeze is in the year, trees and falling leaves look like a beautiful painting, and we can start wearing cosy jumpers. So for those who love this time of year, DS has compiled a list of 12 great autumnal movies for the 12 equinox hours to get you in the mood.
The Lake House
While the time-travel elements may be confusing and make little sense, this underrated gem reunites Speed's Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in a film that really showcases the beauty of autumn throughout.
With much...
Sun is still around, a cool breeze is in the year, trees and falling leaves look like a beautiful painting, and we can start wearing cosy jumpers. So for those who love this time of year, DS has compiled a list of 12 great autumnal movies for the 12 equinox hours to get you in the mood.
The Lake House
While the time-travel elements may be confusing and make little sense, this underrated gem reunites Speed's Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in a film that really showcases the beauty of autumn throughout.
With much...
- 9/22/2013
- Digital Spy
August usually marks the beginning of a flood of not-so-hotly-anticipated summer movies, but, so far, 2013 is flipping that idea on its head.
With a sci-fi action epic starring Matt Damon, a raunchy comedy, an effects-laden fantasy sequel, and Disney-fueled family flick all hitting theaters, there's plenty to be excited about this week.
Let's start with "Elysium." In Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to the critically lauded "District 9," Damon plays Max DeCosta, a man stuck on an overpopulated, burnt-out Earth with the rest of 2154's second-class citizens. Where are all the wealthy folks, you ask? They're on a protected space station called Elysium, tucked far away from the pollution that plagues the planet below. When Max is given a five-days-to-live prognosis, he has no choice but to battle his way into Elysium to access the station's life-saving technology.
"We're the Millers," starring Aniston and Jason Sudeikis, also hits theaters this week.
With a sci-fi action epic starring Matt Damon, a raunchy comedy, an effects-laden fantasy sequel, and Disney-fueled family flick all hitting theaters, there's plenty to be excited about this week.
Let's start with "Elysium." In Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to the critically lauded "District 9," Damon plays Max DeCosta, a man stuck on an overpopulated, burnt-out Earth with the rest of 2154's second-class citizens. Where are all the wealthy folks, you ask? They're on a protected space station called Elysium, tucked far away from the pollution that plagues the planet below. When Max is given a five-days-to-live prognosis, he has no choice but to battle his way into Elysium to access the station's life-saving technology.
"We're the Millers," starring Aniston and Jason Sudeikis, also hits theaters this week.
- 8/9/2013
- by Dana Taddeo
- Moviefone
Steven Soderbergh became the poster child for new American independent cinema in the 90′s, after winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his debut feature Sex, Lies, & Videotape. Soderbergh spent the better part of the ensuing decade, directing small idiosyncratic films, and often wearing many hats including producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. Eventually the director entered into a period that saw him make commercially satisfying films; most notably Ocean’s Eleven, Erin Brockovich and Traffic, the latter of which earned him an Oscar for Best Director. Despite his box office success, Steven Sodberergh continued to experiment with such films as the ensemble piece Full Frontal, the smart and ambiguous Solaris, the low-budget Bubble and the four hour long epic, Che. There are very few filmmakers who are able to keep their feet firmly planted in the commercial world, while conserving their independent spirit. With his last...
- 2/10/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
brightcove.createExperiences();The last time Matt Damon worked as co-writer / actor for Gus Van Sant, the result was Good Will Hunting, which scored him an Oscar. Now he’s reunited with the director for Promised Land, which Damon co-wrote with fellow thesp John Krasinski. Check out the trailer above, but head to Apple if you want the full HD version.Promised Land looks to be in the vein of Erin Brockovich, or any of those dramas where small-town folk go up against big companies.In this case, the hot-button topic being tackled is fracking. No, nothing to do with Battlestar Galactica, but a process whereby corporations drill through rock to release natural gas to use as an energy source. The procedure involves securing land and drilling rights, which can definitely mean healthy income for struggling agricultural families, but the methods have also led to destroyed farmlands, contaminated groundwater and all manner of environmental consequences.
- 9/24/2012
- EmpireOnline
Things get perhaps a bit zippy and drippy and cliched at the end of this first trailer for Gus Van Sant‘s Promised Land, but there’s just so much good stuff before all that upbeat music and hackneyed professions of maybe-wonder to sink it. Originally slated as Matt Damon‘s directorial debut, Promised Land does still feature Damon in front of the camera and behind its script, as he’s co-written this one with co-star John Krasinksi (of note, this is the sort of pairing dreams are made of), who first conceived of its story with author Dave Eggers before Matty and Johnnycakes (as we like to refer to them) penned the script. Details have been slim about the project, but we have known that it would center on “a salesman [who] experiences life-changing events after arriving in a small town” and that it would possibly involve fracking. It looks like both those nuggets have proven to...
- 9/22/2012
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Co-written by co-stars Matt Damon and John Krasinski, Promissed Land has its first trailer and poster online.
A surprise awards contender was originally going to be Damon’s feature-length directorial debut, but after he couldn’t direct, he got his old Good Will Hunting helmer, Gus Van Sant, to take over as the two look to once again tap into some Oscar glory.
The upcoming drama which opens in limited theaters (New York and Los Angeles) on December 28th, 2012 (Oscar qualifying run) also stars Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook and Scoot McNairy.
The story was originally conceived by Krasinski and author/screenwriter Dave Eggers, before Damon and Krasinski penned the script because they’ve started the casting process strong by signing up another Academy Award winner McDormand.
Well, Damon and McDormand play ace corporate salesmen who try to prey on the town having been hit hard by the economic...
A surprise awards contender was originally going to be Damon’s feature-length directorial debut, but after he couldn’t direct, he got his old Good Will Hunting helmer, Gus Van Sant, to take over as the two look to once again tap into some Oscar glory.
The upcoming drama which opens in limited theaters (New York and Los Angeles) on December 28th, 2012 (Oscar qualifying run) also stars Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook and Scoot McNairy.
The story was originally conceived by Krasinski and author/screenwriter Dave Eggers, before Damon and Krasinski penned the script because they’ve started the casting process strong by signing up another Academy Award winner McDormand.
Well, Damon and McDormand play ace corporate salesmen who try to prey on the town having been hit hard by the economic...
- 9/22/2012
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
Gus Van Sant is at it again with the Promised Land, starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski. With such a storyline there should be Oscar-buzz already, but for those doubters out there we ask for you to check out the trailer first. Depicting a natural gas company salesman (Damon) trying to convince a town to sell their land, a rural town farmer (Krasinski) speaks out against the change in order to save what's left of his community.
| Related: Interview: Gus Van Sant and Bryce Dallas Howard |
"We're not fighting for land Steve, we're fighting for people," Krasinski's character Dustin points out. A bit of an Erin Brockovich edge, the film also reminds us of The Departed, thanks to Rosemarie DeWitt. The actress (who starred alongside Matt's best Ben Affleck in The Company Man) comes off as being stuck between both men, similar to what Damon's character faced up against Leonardo DiCaprio.
| Related: Interview: Gus Van Sant and Bryce Dallas Howard |
"We're not fighting for land Steve, we're fighting for people," Krasinski's character Dustin points out. A bit of an Erin Brockovich edge, the film also reminds us of The Departed, thanks to Rosemarie DeWitt. The actress (who starred alongside Matt's best Ben Affleck in The Company Man) comes off as being stuck between both men, similar to what Damon's character faced up against Leonardo DiCaprio.
- 9/21/2012
- by Stephanie Webber
- Filmology
In August, Focus Features surprised many Oscar prognosticators by setting "Promised Land" for release on Dec. 28. The decision could make the new drama a major awards player, if only because of its pedigree: Matt Damon and John Krasinski wrote the screenplay (from a story by Dave Eggers) and Gus Van Sant directs. The first film co-written by Damon and a fellow actor that Van Sant directed was "Good Will Hunting." (The pair, along with Casey Affleck, also collaborated on "Gerry," but you can forget about that one for now.)
For those still not convinced of "Promised Land's" Oscar bona fides, Focus has released a new trailer for the film that manages to both highlight the human drama and timeliness of its story. Damon stars as a natural gas company salesman who tries to convince the denizens of a rural town to sell their farms for the purposes of fracking.
For those still not convinced of "Promised Land's" Oscar bona fides, Focus has released a new trailer for the film that manages to both highlight the human drama and timeliness of its story. Damon stars as a natural gas company salesman who tries to convince the denizens of a rural town to sell their farms for the purposes of fracking.
- 9/21/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
In August, Focus Features surprised many Oscar prognosticators by setting "Promised Land" for release on Dec. 28. The decision could make the new drama a major awards player, if only because of its pedigree: Matt Damon and John Krasinski wrote the screenplay (from a story by Dave Eggers) and Gus Van Sant directs. The first film co-written by Damon and a fellow actor that Van Sant directed was "Good Will Hunting." (The pair, along with Casey Affleck, also collaborated on "Gerry," but you can forget about that one for now.)
For those still not convinced of "Promised Land's" Oscar bona fides, Focus has released a new trailer for the film that manages to both highlight the human drama and timeliness of its story. Damon stars as a natural gas company salesman who tries to convince the denizens of a rural town to sell their farms for the purposes of fracking.
For those still not convinced of "Promised Land's" Oscar bona fides, Focus has released a new trailer for the film that manages to both highlight the human drama and timeliness of its story. Damon stars as a natural gas company salesman who tries to convince the denizens of a rural town to sell their farms for the purposes of fracking.
- 9/21/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Aol TV.
Promised Land is an upcoming Focus Features’ contemporary drama written by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, and the good thing is that production on the whole thing has finally begun! As we previously reported, this was meant to be Damon’s directorial debut, but unfortunately (or fortunately) Gus Van Sant is now on board to direct [...]
Continue reading Production Begins on Promised Land Starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Rosemarie DeWitt to Star in Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land Damon and Krasinski Teaming on Erin Brockovich-esque Drama Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt in Nobody Walks...
Continue reading Production Begins on Promised Land Starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Rosemarie DeWitt to Star in Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land Damon and Krasinski Teaming on Erin Brockovich-esque Drama Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt in Nobody Walks...
- 4/25/2012
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
Rachel Getting Married star, Rosemarie DeWitt will play the female lead in The Promised Land, the upcoming drama that Gus Van Sant will direct with Matt Damon and John Krasinski starring. Damon and Krasinski also wrote the script, which got a first draft from Dave Eggers, tentatively titled Gold Mist. Damon and Krasinski star as [...]
Continue reading Rosemarie DeWitt to Star in Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt in Nobody Walks Damon and Krasinski Teaming on Erin Brockovich-esque Drama “Rachel Getting Married” and “Blindness” Posters...
Continue reading Rosemarie DeWitt to Star in Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land on FilmoFilia.
Related posts: Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt in Nobody Walks Damon and Krasinski Teaming on Erin Brockovich-esque Drama “Rachel Getting Married” and “Blindness” Posters...
- 3/9/2012
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
Matt Damon will have to wait a little bit longer before making his directorial debut.
In October, THR reported that the actor, currently in theaters with We Bought a Zoo, would direct an untitled Warner Bros. drama that he co-wrote with actor John Krasinski. (Author Dave Eggers was also involved in coming up with the story.) Damon was also going to star in the the drama . which was described as being in the vein of Erin Brockovich.and was one of the producers on it.
Sources now confirm to THR that Damon has dropped out as director due to what are being called "scheduling issues." It's unclear how this move, first reported by Vulture, will impact the project. The THR source says Damon is still on track to act in the movie but declines to provide specifics.
At the time the movie was announced, Warners, which houses Damon and Ben Affleck's Pearl Street shingle,...
In October, THR reported that the actor, currently in theaters with We Bought a Zoo, would direct an untitled Warner Bros. drama that he co-wrote with actor John Krasinski. (Author Dave Eggers was also involved in coming up with the story.) Damon was also going to star in the the drama . which was described as being in the vein of Erin Brockovich.and was one of the producers on it.
Sources now confirm to THR that Damon has dropped out as director due to what are being called "scheduling issues." It's unclear how this move, first reported by Vulture, will impact the project. The THR source says Damon is still on track to act in the movie but declines to provide specifics.
At the time the movie was announced, Warners, which houses Damon and Ben Affleck's Pearl Street shingle,...
- 1/6/2012
- icelebz.com
Matt Damon will have to wait a little bit longer before making his directorial debut. In October, THR reported that the actor, currently in theaters with We Bought a Zoo, would direct an untitled Warner Bros. drama that he co-wrote with actor John Krasinski. (Author Dave Eggers was also involved in coming up with the story.) Damon was also going to star in the the drama — which was described as being in the vein of Erin Brockovich—and was one of the producers on it. Photos: 'We Bought a Zoo' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals: Sources now
read more...
read more...
- 1/5/2012
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matt Damon has been looking to join acting pals like George Clooney and Ben Affleck in the director's club. A few months ago, we learned that he was attached to helm Father Daughter Time for Warner Bros., but now there's word that another project has taken precedence over it. The new film is an untitled legal drama that centers on "a salesman who arrives in a small town only to have his whole life called into question." To give some idea of the tone, the film is described to be in the vein of Erin Brockovich. Damon will also star in and co-write the screenplay with The Office star John Krasinski, who developed the story with author Dave Eggers. Krasinski will also appear in the film, although no role has been specified as of yet. Father Daughter Time is still in the cards for Damon, but the legal drama should...
- 10/21/2011
- by Aaron
- FilmJunk
One thing is for sure – Matt Damon is going to make his directorial debut soon. He was hunting down Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and another project called Eskimo Kisses, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, he’s attaching himself to direct and star in a legal drama of the Erin Brockovich style. Personally, I’d like to see him as the lead in a Grisham adaptation. His co-writer and co-star is John Krasinski, who apparently worked through the story idea (about a salesman arriving in a town, only to have his life dramatically change) with novelist Dave Eggers. This project would certainly remove a bit of the Office/Harmless Romantic Comedy vibe that Krasinski has been forced to emit for the past few years. The untitled drama could potentially start filming Spring 2012, and if it does, it will become Damon’s directorial debut. It has a lot of other movies to contend with...
- 10/20/2011
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Matt Damon is at it again! The now bald (for a movie role, fear not ladies) actor is planning on continuing his directing dreams with his Bff John Krasinski. The two pals wrote a legal drama which they are also planning to star in. The film will be produced by Krasinski's company Sunday Night as well as getting some extra help from Damon. Writing, acting, producing...singing? Is there anything these two can't do?
See the two of them go gun shopping?
Damon is also set to direct Father Daughter Time.
Will the Adjustment Bureau be a TV series?
I like these two. I know some people prefer the original bromance between Damon and Affleck, but John Krasinski is about a million times more adorable than Affleck.
No title is set yet but it's sure to tempt some Oscar bait as it is getting buzz for being the next Erin Brockovich.
See the two of them go gun shopping?
Damon is also set to direct Father Daughter Time.
Will the Adjustment Bureau be a TV series?
I like these two. I know some people prefer the original bromance between Damon and Affleck, but John Krasinski is about a million times more adorable than Affleck.
No title is set yet but it's sure to tempt some Oscar bait as it is getting buzz for being the next Erin Brockovich.
- 10/20/2011
- by Emily Cheever
- Filmology
Movie News in 60 Seconds: Matt Damon, Director; 'Captain Underpants,' the Movie; Live-Action 'Akira'
But I Always Wanted to Direct: Matt Damon, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter (he acts a little, too), has reportedly decided to direct a script he co-wrote with actor John Krasinski; the untitled project is described as “in the vein of Erin Brockovich.” So which one will be wearing a padded bra? (Damon, above, with wife Luciana Bozán Barroso at the Venice Film Festival premiere of Contagion; photo credit: Getty Images.) (The Hollywood Reporter) We Presume Your Kids Will Love It: Dreamworks Animation has won a bidding war for the rights to the best-selling Captain Underpants series of books. Parents with children of a certain age, we suppose, need no further introduction to the source material. (Deadline) Dept. of Live-Action...
Read More...
Read More...
- 10/20/2011
- by Peter Martin
- Movies.com
Two men from Massachusetts setting up an untitled drama at Warner Bros. and it’s not the long-rumored Father Daughter Time project, scripted by Matthew Aldrich. Instead, Matt Damon and John Krasinski (The Office) are gearing up for the legal drama, an entirely new movie, which is reportedly compared to Steven Soderbergh’s Erin Brockovich in a [...]
Continue reading Damon and Krasinski Teaming on Erin Brockovich-esque Drama on FilmoFilia.
Related posts:First We Bought A Zoo Trailer Starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson Matt Damon In ‘The Informant’ – First Look Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt in Nobody Walks...
Continue reading Damon and Krasinski Teaming on Erin Brockovich-esque Drama on FilmoFilia.
Related posts:First We Bought A Zoo Trailer Starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson Matt Damon In ‘The Informant’ – First Look Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt in Nobody Walks...
- 10/20/2011
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
Bourne star to direct first feature films, one of which is co-written with Us Office star John Krasinski and author Dave Eggers
Matt Damon plans to appear in his directorial debut, an as-yet-untitled drama that he will co-write with John Krasinski, star of the Us version of The Office.
Damon is set to take a role as a salesman who has a life-changing experience after he moves to a small-town in America, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Plot details are scarce, but Krasinski (who developed the story with author Dave Eggers) will star. The screenplay has been described as being in the vein of Oscar-winning legal drama Erin Brockovich.
Damon's other potential directing project is Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses, news of which first emerged in May. Again, little information on the plot has been released, other than that the first draft was written by Matthew Aldrich,...
Matt Damon plans to appear in his directorial debut, an as-yet-untitled drama that he will co-write with John Krasinski, star of the Us version of The Office.
Damon is set to take a role as a salesman who has a life-changing experience after he moves to a small-town in America, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Plot details are scarce, but Krasinski (who developed the story with author Dave Eggers) will star. The screenplay has been described as being in the vein of Oscar-winning legal drama Erin Brockovich.
Damon's other potential directing project is Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses, news of which first emerged in May. Again, little information on the plot has been released, other than that the first draft was written by Matthew Aldrich,...
- 10/20/2011
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Hey, if his buddy Ben Affleck can do it, so can Matt Damon.
The "Contagion" star has lined up his second potential directing project, this one an untitled drama set up at Warner Bros., according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Said to be in the vein of "Erin Brockovich," Steven Soderbergh's 2000 legal dramedy that earned Julia Roberts an Oscar, the film will center around a salesman (Damon) whose life is changed after he travels to a small town. Damon co-wrote the screenplay with John Krasinski, who initially developed the story with author David Eggers.
This isn't the only directing project that Matt Damon has in the works, as he's also attached to direct and star in "Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses," which is also set up at WB. However, things are shaping up to have Damon in the director's chair on the salesman drama as early as next spring.
The "Contagion" star has lined up his second potential directing project, this one an untitled drama set up at Warner Bros., according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Said to be in the vein of "Erin Brockovich," Steven Soderbergh's 2000 legal dramedy that earned Julia Roberts an Oscar, the film will center around a salesman (Damon) whose life is changed after he travels to a small town. Damon co-wrote the screenplay with John Krasinski, who initially developed the story with author David Eggers.
This isn't the only directing project that Matt Damon has in the works, as he's also attached to direct and star in "Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses," which is also set up at WB. However, things are shaping up to have Damon in the director's chair on the salesman drama as early as next spring.
- 10/20/2011
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
Piecing together reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety we learn Matt Damon is preparing to make is directorial debut on an untitled drama at Warner Bros. that he co-wrote with John Krasinski ("The Office"). The plot seems to be a bit uncertain though we do know Damon will play a salesman who arrives in a small town only to have his whole life called into question. The story is said to be in the vein of Erin Brockovich and centers on a town being poisoned. Krasinski came up with the idea and developed the concept with author Dave Eggers who wrote Away We Go for Sam Mendes, which Krasinski starred in opposite Maya Rudolph in 2009. Eggers last wrote Where the Wild Things Are. Damon also has Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses, a script by Matthew Aldrich, lined up at Warner Bros., but it...
- 10/20/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Star-studded killer virus movie Contagion mixes the spirit of 70s disaster movies with the tone of The Birds
For a man who recently said he was retiring to pursue painting as his main form of expression, Steven Soderbergh is all around us at the movies right now. In addition to unleashing the bleakest yet most kinetic apocalyptic thriller in years in the form of Contagion, he also had a hand in producing Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin. In the States, Contagion is competing against the smart and critically lauded baseball movie Moneyball, which was a long-nourished Soderbergh project – and still vaguely feels like one – that ended up being directed by Bennett Miller. In the pipeline are The Man From Uncle and a Liberace biopic. Then it's off to his easel, and turpentine.
I'll believe it when I see it. If Soderbergh is retiring, so be it,...
For a man who recently said he was retiring to pursue painting as his main form of expression, Steven Soderbergh is all around us at the movies right now. In addition to unleashing the bleakest yet most kinetic apocalyptic thriller in years in the form of Contagion, he also had a hand in producing Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin. In the States, Contagion is competing against the smart and critically lauded baseball movie Moneyball, which was a long-nourished Soderbergh project – and still vaguely feels like one – that ended up being directed by Bennett Miller. In the pipeline are The Man From Uncle and a Liberace biopic. Then it's off to his easel, and turpentine.
I'll believe it when I see it. If Soderbergh is retiring, so be it,...
- 10/14/2011
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
By Zorianna Kit
Los Angeles (Reuters)Los Angeles, September 5 (Reuters) - Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh explores how a lethal virus is transmitted from one person to another, until the entire world is affected in "Contagion."
The film, which debuted over the weekend at the Venice film festival and hits theaters Friday, features an all star cast that includes Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne and Jude Law among others.
Soderbergh, known for directing such movies as the "Ocean's" trilogy, "Erin Brockovich" and "Traffic," sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, what he learned about viruses and why he's decided to "retire" from moviemaking.
Q: "Contagion" is about a virus that kills people with no cure in sight. With real-life scares like Sars, N1H1 and the bird flu, this is a fear anyone can relate to.
A: "Yes (the virus) doesn't speak and it doesn't have a brain,...
Los Angeles (Reuters)Los Angeles, September 5 (Reuters) - Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh explores how a lethal virus is transmitted from one person to another, until the entire world is affected in "Contagion."
The film, which debuted over the weekend at the Venice film festival and hits theaters Friday, features an all star cast that includes Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne and Jude Law among others.
Soderbergh, known for directing such movies as the "Ocean's" trilogy, "Erin Brockovich" and "Traffic," sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, what he learned about viruses and why he's decided to "retire" from moviemaking.
Q: "Contagion" is about a virus that kills people with no cure in sight. With real-life scares like Sars, N1H1 and the bird flu, this is a fear anyone can relate to.
A: "Yes (the virus) doesn't speak and it doesn't have a brain,...
- 9/5/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Let's begin with last week's backgrounder in the New York Times, wherein Dennis Lim notes that Contagion "revisits a conundrum that has bedeviled many filmmakers over the years: how do you make a movie about a virus, a villain that isn't even visible? Epidemic movies have sidestepped the problem by focusing on the aftermath of a deadly plague, as with The Omega Man (1971) and 12 Monkeys (1995), both set in postapocalyptic wastelands. Another option is to invent a disease with outlandish symptoms, as in The Crazies (1973), in which the infected turn homicidally insane, or 28 Days Later (2002), in which they become zombies." Contagion, though, "resists the sheen of science fiction or fantasy and instead stresses the chilling plausibility of its nightmare situation." And he quotes Steven Soderbergh: "It's an ultrarealistic film about a pandemic, and that's the key phrase. We were looking for something that was unsettling because of the banality of the transmission.
- 9/5/2011
- MUBI
Gwynnie expires in the first scenes of Contagion
Ferdi from Italy, reporting from Venice for Tfe and, for Italian readers, longer pieces at Loud Vision.
Soderbergh remains one of the most influential and crafty American filmmakers but he has won my love only on one occasion, with Erin Brockovich (perhaps thanks to Julia Roberts). Soderbergh knows how to use star power but how all these stars agreed to make this movie is beyond reason, especially the beautiful Marion Cotillard who seems to be asking what she's even doing there, she's so out of place. (Did the stars infect each other?)
After the first few minutes you realize that this is all very serious stuff which is not always a good thing. If the movie had turned into a sort of "guess who’s going to die next?" thriller, it might have been a smart and fun, if cruel, meta cinematic...
Ferdi from Italy, reporting from Venice for Tfe and, for Italian readers, longer pieces at Loud Vision.
Soderbergh remains one of the most influential and crafty American filmmakers but he has won my love only on one occasion, with Erin Brockovich (perhaps thanks to Julia Roberts). Soderbergh knows how to use star power but how all these stars agreed to make this movie is beyond reason, especially the beautiful Marion Cotillard who seems to be asking what she's even doing there, she's so out of place. (Did the stars infect each other?)
After the first few minutes you realize that this is all very serious stuff which is not always a good thing. If the movie had turned into a sort of "guess who’s going to die next?" thriller, it might have been a smart and fun, if cruel, meta cinematic...
- 9/4/2011
- by Ferdinando Schiavone
- FilmExperience
With the story line beginning to resemble his multi-strained masterpieces, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, in a roundabout, hedging way, confirmed a rampant rumor that he once denied.
Speaking with The New York Times about his upcoming film, the virus disaster story, "Contagion," Soderbergh acknowledged that he was planning on retiring from Hollywood and focusing on a different art form.
"I'm interested in exploring another art form while I have the time and ability to do so," he told the paper, speaking from his painting studio. "I'll be the first person to say if I can't be any good at it and run out of money I'll be back making another 'Ocean's' movie."
Soderbergh directed the action-heist film, "Oceans 11," and its two sequels. In fact, it was one of the stars of that trilogy -- and the lead in "Contagion," that first made mention of the director's longterm plans.
"He wants...
Speaking with The New York Times about his upcoming film, the virus disaster story, "Contagion," Soderbergh acknowledged that he was planning on retiring from Hollywood and focusing on a different art form.
"I'm interested in exploring another art form while I have the time and ability to do so," he told the paper, speaking from his painting studio. "I'll be the first person to say if I can't be any good at it and run out of money I'll be back making another 'Ocean's' movie."
Soderbergh directed the action-heist film, "Oceans 11," and its two sequels. In fact, it was one of the stars of that trilogy -- and the lead in "Contagion," that first made mention of the director's longterm plans.
"He wants...
- 8/30/2011
- by Jordan Zakarin
- Huffington Post
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences kicks off Part Two of its 29th annual .Contemporary Documentaries. screening series with .Food, Inc.. and .Under Our Skin. Tonight, Wednesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission to all screenings in the series is Free.
From cruel and unsanitary conditions in cattle and chicken farming to the addition of corn syrup and sodium to many foods, .Food, Inc.. examines the ways in which large corporations in the American food industry dominate the marketplace and affect the quality of what we consume. Directed by Robert Kenner and produced by Kenner and Elise Pearlstein, .Food, Inc.. earned an Academy Award® nomination for Documentary Feature. Robert Kenner & Elise Pearlstein will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening.
Directed and produced by Andy Abrahams Wilson, .Under Our Skin. investigates the untold story of Lyme disease. As...
From cruel and unsanitary conditions in cattle and chicken farming to the addition of corn syrup and sodium to many foods, .Food, Inc.. examines the ways in which large corporations in the American food industry dominate the marketplace and affect the quality of what we consume. Directed by Robert Kenner and produced by Kenner and Elise Pearlstein, .Food, Inc.. earned an Academy Award® nomination for Documentary Feature. Robert Kenner & Elise Pearlstein will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening.
Directed and produced by Andy Abrahams Wilson, .Under Our Skin. investigates the untold story of Lyme disease. As...
- 3/23/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I absolutely adore the flashback episodes of "The Vampire Diaries," because I think that they're the ones that really showcase the show's greatest strength: the relationship between Stefan and Damon.
You can 'ship until you're blue in the face, but at the end of the day, the relationship between the brothers Salvatore is undeniably the most complex one in the series. It's a centuries-old rivalry driven, firstly, by the inherent blood-borne love anyone has for his family. When it's easier to hate someone, loving them is a giant pain in the ass, because you can't just shake it and you can't walk away from it.
Seeing the way Damon and Stefan related to each other just after they turned, when they were essentially all each other had in the world, is absolutely heartbreaking. I rarely feel the urge to give Damon a hug... tonight I did. "The Dinner Party" was...
You can 'ship until you're blue in the face, but at the end of the day, the relationship between the brothers Salvatore is undeniably the most complex one in the series. It's a centuries-old rivalry driven, firstly, by the inherent blood-borne love anyone has for his family. When it's easier to hate someone, loving them is a giant pain in the ass, because you can't just shake it and you can't walk away from it.
Seeing the way Damon and Stefan related to each other just after they turned, when they were essentially all each other had in the world, is absolutely heartbreaking. I rarely feel the urge to give Damon a hug... tonight I did. "The Dinner Party" was...
- 2/18/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The rumors about Ocean's Eleven and Erin Brockovich director Steven Soderbergh's pending retirement from movie-making accelerated last month when Matt Damon told The La Times that Soderbergh's retirement was "getting closer" to fruition.
He wants to paint and he says he's still young enough to have another career. He's kind of exhausted with everything that interested him in terms of form. He's not interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that's it. He says, "If I see another over-the-shoulder shot, I'm going to blow my brains out."
Damon added that after finishing his next movie, the thriller Contagion, that Soderbergh would direct "Liberace next summer with Michael Douglas, and then he might do one more movie after that with George [Clooney], and then after that he's retiring."
Next Showing:
Link | Posted 1/12/2011 by Ryan
George Clooney | Matt Damon | Michael Douglas | Steven Soderbergh | Contagion | Haywire | Liberace | The Man from U.
He wants to paint and he says he's still young enough to have another career. He's kind of exhausted with everything that interested him in terms of form. He's not interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that's it. He says, "If I see another over-the-shoulder shot, I'm going to blow my brains out."
Damon added that after finishing his next movie, the thriller Contagion, that Soderbergh would direct "Liberace next summer with Michael Douglas, and then he might do one more movie after that with George [Clooney], and then after that he's retiring."
Next Showing:
Link | Posted 1/12/2011 by Ryan
George Clooney | Matt Damon | Michael Douglas | Steven Soderbergh | Contagion | Haywire | Liberace | The Man from U.
- 1/12/2011
- by Ryan Gowland
- Reelzchannel.com
Matt Damon has currently been filming the thriller Contagion with Steven Soderbergh in Chicago. Unfortunately, Damon has confirmed that Soderbergh plans to retire and said he is trying to enjoy the experience since he doubts it will be likely that he will have many more chances to work with him.
Soderbergh is currently 48 and has a list of great films under his belt. According to an Esquire article from two years ago, Soderbergh hopes to retire by 51.
Damon spoke with the La Times and had this to say about the retirement,
"He's retiring, he's been talking about it for years and it's getting closer."
"He wants to paint and he says he’s still young enough to have another career. He’s kind of exhausted with everything that interested him in terms of form. He’s not interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that’s it.
Soderbergh is currently 48 and has a list of great films under his belt. According to an Esquire article from two years ago, Soderbergh hopes to retire by 51.
Damon spoke with the La Times and had this to say about the retirement,
"He's retiring, he's been talking about it for years and it's getting closer."
"He wants to paint and he says he’s still young enough to have another career. He’s kind of exhausted with everything that interested him in terms of form. He’s not interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that’s it.
- 12/22/2010
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
In an interview with the L.A. Times, Matt Damon, currently shooting Contagion with Steven Soderbergh, says the director is seriously considering retiring from the film business within a couple of years. For anyone who watched the director’s world-weary interview in the extras to the Criterion Che set, this might not come as a surprise. Around the same time, he told Esquire that he wanted to retire by 51. In the L.A. Times piece, Damon elaborates on Soderbergh’s thinking with quotes that also provide a nice corrective to the indie-film bromide that “it’s all about the story.” For many of our best filmmakers, that’s simply not true:
“He’s retiring, he’s been talking about it for years and it’s getting closer,” Damon said of Soderbergh, whose credits include Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven, The Informant and Sex, Lies and Videotape. Soderbergh turns 48 next month,...
“He’s retiring, he’s been talking about it for years and it’s getting closer,” Damon said of Soderbergh, whose credits include Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven, The Informant and Sex, Lies and Videotape. Soderbergh turns 48 next month,...
- 12/22/2010
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Sad news from 24 Frames – According to frequent Steven Soderbergh collaborator Matt Damon, the man behind films as varied as Solaris, Sex, Lies and Videotape and Ocean’s Eleven is ready to retire from filmmaking.
“He’s retiring, he’s been talking about it for years and it’s getting closer,” Damon said, currently shooting the thriller Contagion in Chicago with Soderbergh. Damon goes on:
“He wants to paint and he says he’s still young enough to have another career,” Damon said. “He’s kind of exhausted with everything that interested him in terms of form. He’s not interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that’s it. He says, ‘If I see another over-the-shoulder shot, I’m going to blow my brains out.’ “
Geoff Boucher, who authored the 24 Frames article, wonders if it’s a hoax or a prank, but Damon insists that it’s true.
“He’s retiring, he’s been talking about it for years and it’s getting closer,” Damon said, currently shooting the thriller Contagion in Chicago with Soderbergh. Damon goes on:
“He wants to paint and he says he’s still young enough to have another career,” Damon said. “He’s kind of exhausted with everything that interested him in terms of form. He’s not interested in telling stories. Cinema interested him in terms of form and that’s it. He says, ‘If I see another over-the-shoulder shot, I’m going to blow my brains out.’ “
Geoff Boucher, who authored the 24 Frames article, wonders if it’s a hoax or a prank, but Damon insists that it’s true.
- 12/22/2010
- by Anthony Vieira
- The Film Stage
With the Fall comes an onslaught of dramas angling for award season attention. And this means biopics!
The land of Hollywood biopics is a magical place where an entire life story can be told in under two hours (hopefully), complete with some sort of satisfying climax that delivers a message about life’s deeper purpose (again – hopefully). And even when biopics seems more like a crazy amalgamation of anecdotes or a fourth grade biography book report, it’s still a genre where even the roughest bruiser or plainest Jane will be played by a rippling heartthrob or a glamorous starlet. All your sins are shown to the world, but damn your doppelganger looks good!
In honor of this magical transformation, I bring you:
The Top 10 Biopic Upgrades
10. Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre (The Informant!, 2009)
Mark Whitacre was the inside man of a lysine price fixing scandal. He worked hand-in-hand with...
The land of Hollywood biopics is a magical place where an entire life story can be told in under two hours (hopefully), complete with some sort of satisfying climax that delivers a message about life’s deeper purpose (again – hopefully). And even when biopics seems more like a crazy amalgamation of anecdotes or a fourth grade biography book report, it’s still a genre where even the roughest bruiser or plainest Jane will be played by a rippling heartthrob or a glamorous starlet. All your sins are shown to the world, but damn your doppelganger looks good!
In honor of this magical transformation, I bring you:
The Top 10 Biopic Upgrades
10. Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre (The Informant!, 2009)
Mark Whitacre was the inside man of a lysine price fixing scandal. He worked hand-in-hand with...
- 9/23/2010
- by Kristy Puchko
- The Film Stage
Robert here, back with more of my series on great contemporary directors. Last week I promised someone more universally beloved than my subject Andrew Bujalski. I'm not sure if I've kept that promise. Although Mr. Soderbergh is certainly better known (though not necessarily less experimental) which is why he's so damn interesting.
Maestro: Steven Soderbergh
Known For: Politically charged dramas, mini-budget indies and the Oceans films.
Influences: William Friedkin, Sidney Lumet, take your pick from the 70's but also Bergman and (according to Soderbergh) Jean-Luc Godard most of all.
Masterpieces: So many of his films depend on personal reaction... but let's say Traffic.
Disasters:i'd say Full Frontal and Ocean's Twelve.
Better than you remember: And how you remember them is also so personal. Let's say Che.
Box Office: 183 mil for Ocean's Eleven... no shock there.
Favorite Actor:After scouring through Soderbergh's vast casts, I find the answer to be Clooney with...
Maestro: Steven Soderbergh
Known For: Politically charged dramas, mini-budget indies and the Oceans films.
Influences: William Friedkin, Sidney Lumet, take your pick from the 70's but also Bergman and (according to Soderbergh) Jean-Luc Godard most of all.
Masterpieces: So many of his films depend on personal reaction... but let's say Traffic.
Disasters:i'd say Full Frontal and Ocean's Twelve.
Better than you remember: And how you remember them is also so personal. Let's say Che.
Box Office: 183 mil for Ocean's Eleven... no shock there.
Favorite Actor:After scouring through Soderbergh's vast casts, I find the answer to be Clooney with...
- 6/25/2010
- by Robert
- FilmExperience
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
DVD & Blu-ray, Lionsgate
It's Heath Ledger's final film. There, that's got that out of the way. There's no way around mentioning this fact as, unlike Terry Gilliam's previous movie-making problems, the tragic and unexpected death of his lead actor greatly impacts on the movie itself here – and not in entirely detrimental ways. The aged Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) drags his mysterious sideshow act around London with the help of his daughter (a respectable turn from model Lily Cole), an apprentice, and a grumpy dwarf. His "act" involves sending volunteers through a magical mirror into the titular Imaginarium, a strange zone where dreams take flight, which is revealed to be part of a long-fought wager with Tom Waits's Devil, with the very concept of imagination is at stake. Ledger plays an amnesiac they find hanging from a bridge over the Thames, who's not the innocent he first appears.
DVD & Blu-ray, Lionsgate
It's Heath Ledger's final film. There, that's got that out of the way. There's no way around mentioning this fact as, unlike Terry Gilliam's previous movie-making problems, the tragic and unexpected death of his lead actor greatly impacts on the movie itself here – and not in entirely detrimental ways. The aged Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) drags his mysterious sideshow act around London with the help of his daughter (a respectable turn from model Lily Cole), an apprentice, and a grumpy dwarf. His "act" involves sending volunteers through a magical mirror into the titular Imaginarium, a strange zone where dreams take flight, which is revealed to be part of a long-fought wager with Tom Waits's Devil, with the very concept of imagination is at stake. Ledger plays an amnesiac they find hanging from a bridge over the Thames, who's not the innocent he first appears.
- 3/27/2010
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip
The Informant!
Last year’s 2009 reunion of Matt Damon with his Ocean’s 11 director Steven Soderbergh failed to get the attention it deserves. Maybe it’s something to do with that moustache. Damon plays a senior VP at Archers Daniels Midland who gets wind that the food giant has been screwing its customers through price fixing. He approaches the FBI and agrees to get the dirt on his bosses. As Informant! progresses, however, it becomes clear that the shifty Whitacre is ducking, diving, and protecting his own secrets. Revisiting Erin Brockovich territory, this true story of corporate jiggery-pokery is always gripping. If the Julia Roberts movie was about human triumph, Damon’s brilliant award-worthy performance shows that doing the right thing isn’t the same as being a hero. Corporations and humans, it seems, are always going to be flawed entities.
The Informant!
Last year’s 2009 reunion of Matt Damon with his Ocean’s 11 director Steven Soderbergh failed to get the attention it deserves. Maybe it’s something to do with that moustache. Damon plays a senior VP at Archers Daniels Midland who gets wind that the food giant has been screwing its customers through price fixing. He approaches the FBI and agrees to get the dirt on his bosses. As Informant! progresses, however, it becomes clear that the shifty Whitacre is ducking, diving, and protecting his own secrets. Revisiting Erin Brockovich territory, this true story of corporate jiggery-pokery is always gripping. If the Julia Roberts movie was about human triumph, Damon’s brilliant award-worthy performance shows that doing the right thing isn’t the same as being a hero. Corporations and humans, it seems, are always going to be flawed entities.
- 2/23/2010
- by Lauren Deiman
- TheFabLife - Movies
Chicago – Steven Soderbergh is arguably the most important American filmmaker working today and his “The Informant!” with Matt Damon, just released on Blu-ray and DVD, is a great piece of evidence to support that argument. He continues to bring traditional stories to life in continuously unique, interesting ways.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0
The story of “The Informant!” is one familiar to audiences, especially from a director who tackled the toppling of a corrupt Midwestern company by a little person before in “Erin Brockovich”. Erin and Mark Whitacre (Damon) couldn’t have less in common. One was a heroine. The other was a moron.
The Informant! was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 23rd, 2010.
Photo credit: Warner Brothers Home Video
Mark is a typical Midwestern schlub with a loving wife (Melanie Lynskey), two kids, a nice home, and a very good job at Archer Daniels Midland monitoring Lysine pricing and its possible damage on the environment.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0
The story of “The Informant!” is one familiar to audiences, especially from a director who tackled the toppling of a corrupt Midwestern company by a little person before in “Erin Brockovich”. Erin and Mark Whitacre (Damon) couldn’t have less in common. One was a heroine. The other was a moron.
The Informant! was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 23rd, 2010.
Photo credit: Warner Brothers Home Video
Mark is a typical Midwestern schlub with a loving wife (Melanie Lynskey), two kids, a nice home, and a very good job at Archer Daniels Midland monitoring Lysine pricing and its possible damage on the environment.
- 2/23/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Yes, I was at the Golden Globes, but I feel as if I haven't seen the show. That's because the backstage press room is its own strange beast, and an impossible exercise in multitasking. Monitors are set up so reporters can watch the ceremony as it unfolds a few hundred feet away, but as soon as those winners start appearing backstage, forget about trying to pay attention to the actual show. Look, there's Meryl Streep, whom you've seen your whole life as a larger-than-life acting goddess projected onto a screen, and now she's standing right in front of you. There's...
- 1/18/2010
- by John Young
- EW.com - PopWatch
Dinner for Schmucks
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
- 12/18/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Dinner for Schmucks
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
- 12/18/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
"The Hurt Locker's" march to the Oscars has begun! The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is nominated for best feature, breakthrough actor, and best ensemble performance at the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards.
Robert Siegel's "Big Fan" also topped the Gotham nominations with best features, breakthrough actor, and breakthrough director noms.
"The Hurt Locker" is one of my favorite films this year (Click Watch My Top 10 Best Movies of Summer 2009!) so I'm rooting for this brilliant flick!
Bigelow, Natalie Portman, and Stanley Tucci, and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will each be presented with a career tribute.
The ceremony will be held Nov. 30 at Cipriani Wall Street.
And the nominees for the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards are:
Best Feature
"Amreeka"
Cherien Dabis, director; Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin, producers (National Geographic Entertainment)
"Big Fan"
Robert Siegel, director; Jean Kouremetis, Elan Bogarin, producers (First Independent Pictures)
"The Hurt Locker"
Kathryn Bigelow,...
Robert Siegel's "Big Fan" also topped the Gotham nominations with best features, breakthrough actor, and breakthrough director noms.
"The Hurt Locker" is one of my favorite films this year (Click Watch My Top 10 Best Movies of Summer 2009!) so I'm rooting for this brilliant flick!
Bigelow, Natalie Portman, and Stanley Tucci, and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will each be presented with a career tribute.
The ceremony will be held Nov. 30 at Cipriani Wall Street.
And the nominees for the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards are:
Best Feature
"Amreeka"
Cherien Dabis, director; Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin, producers (National Geographic Entertainment)
"Big Fan"
Robert Siegel, director; Jean Kouremetis, Elan Bogarin, producers (First Independent Pictures)
"The Hurt Locker"
Kathryn Bigelow,...
- 10/20/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
So another year has passed and its time for another round of awards for the people who make the television shows we like to watch.
Television is interesting these days. Never before have we seen such great, creative output. Never before have we been subjected to such drivel. It all gets paraded before us tonight, as we watch the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (handed out, it should be noted, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) on CBS, CTV in Canada.
8:00
Interesting that the Emmys chose to introduce the 2009 edition of the Primetime awards by harkening back to the early days of television. Especially as the business of television has never been closer to a complete collapse. Oh, announcer who is trying so hard to sound like a TV host from the '50s. You don't sound at all like you're a three pack-a-day smoker.
8:01
Okay, here comes Neil Patrick Harris,...
Television is interesting these days. Never before have we seen such great, creative output. Never before have we been subjected to such drivel. It all gets paraded before us tonight, as we watch the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (handed out, it should be noted, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) on CBS, CTV in Canada.
8:00
Interesting that the Emmys chose to introduce the 2009 edition of the Primetime awards by harkening back to the early days of television. Especially as the business of television has never been closer to a complete collapse. Oh, announcer who is trying so hard to sound like a TV host from the '50s. You don't sound at all like you're a three pack-a-day smoker.
8:01
Okay, here comes Neil Patrick Harris,...
- 9/21/2009
- CinemaSpy
Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant! is a clever, unconventional comedy about corporate greed in the 90’s and the highest-ranking executive whistleblower in U.S. history. The wacky sibling of the more serious Erin Brockovich, Soderbergh’s latest strikes a satirical tone on the timely, true events. Perhaps the exclamation point in the title gave it away.
The story focuses on the agricultural business of corn byproducts used in a variety of foods. “It’s all very scientific, but if you’re a stockholder, all that matters is that corn goes in one end and profit comes out the other.” But a criminal conspiracy means “everyone in this country is a victim of corporate crime by the time they finish breakfast.”
Though the cast is loaded with recognizable comedic faces, Matt Damon (in his fifth collaboration with Soderbergh) makes this funny film worth the watch. The accomplished, charismatic actor shows tremendous...
The story focuses on the agricultural business of corn byproducts used in a variety of foods. “It’s all very scientific, but if you’re a stockholder, all that matters is that corn goes in one end and profit comes out the other.” But a criminal conspiracy means “everyone in this country is a victim of corporate crime by the time they finish breakfast.”
Though the cast is loaded with recognizable comedic faces, Matt Damon (in his fifth collaboration with Soderbergh) makes this funny film worth the watch. The accomplished, charismatic actor shows tremendous...
- 9/11/2009
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
James Toback's "Tyson" as well as Louie Psihoyo's "The Cove" will be closing the AFI Dalls International Film Festival on April 2nd. Peter Bogdanovich will also be honoted with the AFI Dallas Star Award at a special Texas Day celebration which will take place at Victory Park on April 3rd. Sony Pictures Classics' "Tyson" documentary helmed by Toback, was a winner at last year's Cannes Film Festival; taking home the Regard Knockout Award. The film opens in April 24th in limited locations. Pshihoyo's "Cove" documentary written by Mark Monroe is distributed by Roadside Attractions. The film took home the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival and was a nominee of the Grand Jury Prize. About Tyson: Tyson is acclaimed indie director James Toback's stylistically inventive portrait of a mesmerizing Mike Tyson. Toback allows Tyson to reveal himself without inhibition and with eloquence and a pervasive vulnerability.
- 3/20/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We have new images in from the Sony Pictures Classics documentary "Tyson" directed by James Toback. The film is a winner of the Regard Knockout Award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival: James Toback. The film about Mike Tyson sees limited areas on April 24th this year. Toback directed and wrote 2004's "When Will I Be Loved" and 2001's "Harvard Man." His biggest work to date was as a writer for 1991's Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Harvey Keitel Oscar®-winning "Bugsy." See all of the images here. Tyson is acclaimed indie director James Toback's stylistically inventive portrait of a mesmerizing Mike Tyson. Toback allows Tyson to reveal himself without inhibition and with eloquence and a pervasive vulnerability. Through a mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, a startlingly complex, fully-rounded human being emerges. The film ranges from Tyson’s earliest memories of growing up on the mean...
- 3/12/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Want to know the status of a particular movie, TV show, or band? Wondering what a certain actress is up to these days? Send your entertainment-related questions to askafterellen@gmail.com — with your first name, city and country — and we'll try to answer as many as we can.
Question: What's going on with Missy Peregrym? The girl is smokin' hot!
— Cassandra, Bay Area, CA
Missy Peregrym
Answer: I think you are probably speaking for a large portion of the lesbian masses when you profess your admiration for Ms. Peregrym.
In fact, I'm pretty sure that an entire generation of women got a glimpse of Peregrym's abs in the undeniably awesome film Stick It (2006) and immediately joined gyms in order to 1) sculpt their very own Peregrym-style six-pack or 2) pick up a girl with a Peregrym-style six-pack.
In 2007, Peregrym had a brief stint on Heroes as a shape-shifter, then took the role...
Question: What's going on with Missy Peregrym? The girl is smokin' hot!
— Cassandra, Bay Area, CA
Missy Peregrym
Answer: I think you are probably speaking for a large portion of the lesbian masses when you profess your admiration for Ms. Peregrym.
In fact, I'm pretty sure that an entire generation of women got a glimpse of Peregrym's abs in the undeniably awesome film Stick It (2006) and immediately joined gyms in order to 1) sculpt their very own Peregrym-style six-pack or 2) pick up a girl with a Peregrym-style six-pack.
In 2007, Peregrym had a brief stint on Heroes as a shape-shifter, then took the role...
- 2/10/2009
- by karman
- AfterEllen.com
Film Review, Tyson, Cannes, Un Certain Regard
When he's not pounding very large men to the ground, ex-fighter Mike Tyson speaks directly to the camera in James Toback's film "Tyson" and it's hard not to flinch. More a testimony for the defense than a documentary, it's a sympathetic portrait of a complex man driven by an anger that still bubbles beneath the surface.
The former world champion's eyes, which were as devastating as his piston-fast fists in the boxing ring, reveal little but his self-serving words tell everything. His candor appears sometimes unwitting but the result is a powerful film that will appeal to sports fans and those who respond to the visceral clamor of the fight world.
Using split screens, over-dubs and a mixture of interior close-ups and exterior long-shots, Toback allows the boxer to portray himself as a gentle soul born on mean streets where constant bullying forced him to employ his brute strength to survive. A broken home, crime, correction facilities and finally the boxing ring, it's a familiar tale.
Not so familiar were the fighter's extraordinary dedication, steeped in the lessons of the great champions, and his unflinching impulse to drive toward and destroy his opponent. Toback shows nearly all of Tyson's knockouts and tracks his rise to the big titles, big money and world fame, and then the falls from grace including failed marriages, a spell in prison on a rape conviction, and ultimately the loss of his titles and most of his money.
In every circumstance in his life, Tyson believes himself to be the innocent party. He became a ferocious fighter to avoid being humiliated. His marriage broke down because they were both kids. His rape charge was "false" and the victim was "a wretched swine of a woman." A big-time boxing promoter was "a slimy reptilian motherf***er." He bit opponent Evander Holyfield's ear off because the man kept head-butting him and made him insane in the ring.
But Tyson says he made sure his six kids got some of all that money; he found Islam in prison; and he's been through rehabilitation. Now, he says, his anger is directed only toward himself. "I'm not an animal anymore," he says in his high-pitched lisp staring at the camera through a dramatic Maori facial tattoo.
For some reason, Toback never mentions Tyson's voice, not that you can blame him.
Cast: Mike Tyson. Director: James Toback. Director Of Photography: Larry McConkey. Music: Salaam Remi. Editor: Aaron Yanes. Producers: James Toback, Damon Bingham. Executive Producers: Mike Tyson, Harlan Werner, Nicholas Jarecki, Henry Jarecki, Bob Yari. Sales Agent: Wild Bunch
No MPAA rating, running time 90 mins.
When he's not pounding very large men to the ground, ex-fighter Mike Tyson speaks directly to the camera in James Toback's film "Tyson" and it's hard not to flinch. More a testimony for the defense than a documentary, it's a sympathetic portrait of a complex man driven by an anger that still bubbles beneath the surface.
The former world champion's eyes, which were as devastating as his piston-fast fists in the boxing ring, reveal little but his self-serving words tell everything. His candor appears sometimes unwitting but the result is a powerful film that will appeal to sports fans and those who respond to the visceral clamor of the fight world.
Using split screens, over-dubs and a mixture of interior close-ups and exterior long-shots, Toback allows the boxer to portray himself as a gentle soul born on mean streets where constant bullying forced him to employ his brute strength to survive. A broken home, crime, correction facilities and finally the boxing ring, it's a familiar tale.
Not so familiar were the fighter's extraordinary dedication, steeped in the lessons of the great champions, and his unflinching impulse to drive toward and destroy his opponent. Toback shows nearly all of Tyson's knockouts and tracks his rise to the big titles, big money and world fame, and then the falls from grace including failed marriages, a spell in prison on a rape conviction, and ultimately the loss of his titles and most of his money.
In every circumstance in his life, Tyson believes himself to be the innocent party. He became a ferocious fighter to avoid being humiliated. His marriage broke down because they were both kids. His rape charge was "false" and the victim was "a wretched swine of a woman." A big-time boxing promoter was "a slimy reptilian motherf***er." He bit opponent Evander Holyfield's ear off because the man kept head-butting him and made him insane in the ring.
But Tyson says he made sure his six kids got some of all that money; he found Islam in prison; and he's been through rehabilitation. Now, he says, his anger is directed only toward himself. "I'm not an animal anymore," he says in his high-pitched lisp staring at the camera through a dramatic Maori facial tattoo.
For some reason, Toback never mentions Tyson's voice, not that you can blame him.
Cast: Mike Tyson. Director: James Toback. Director Of Photography: Larry McConkey. Music: Salaam Remi. Editor: Aaron Yanes. Producers: James Toback, Damon Bingham. Executive Producers: Mike Tyson, Harlan Werner, Nicholas Jarecki, Henry Jarecki, Bob Yari. Sales Agent: Wild Bunch
No MPAA rating, running time 90 mins.
- 5/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.