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See what I did up there? With the "New Moon" trailer? All due respect to "Bandslam," the release this week which will exclusively feature the latest trailer from the next adaptation in the "Twilight" series, but we've got a little bit of a "Meet Joe Black" situation going on here. For those who don't remember: "Meet Joe Black" hit theaters in 1998 along with the very first trailer for "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." People went nuts over it, with many freely admitting that they bought their ticket just for the trailer.
Granted, this is the second "New Moon" trailer. And according to all reports, "Bandslam" is a far better movie than "Meet Joe Black" was. But Twilighters rival "Star Wars" fans with their fervor. Before we dive in with the rest of the week's releases, why not take one more peek at that first "New Moon" trailer?
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Sort of. Twitter-Wood and Around the Blogosphere will not be seen today; Warmoth is out and I'm too bummed about the late John Hughes to start digging through a Blogosphere's worth of remembrances. Normally I'd try to fill Warmoth's giant Twitter-Wood shoes, but the outpouring of grief today is pretty impressive. Then again, it's not everyday a living legend passes from our midst.
Something incredible happened with this week's Box Office Poll. Not only did the clear blockbuster favorite for the week not take the top prize, it was pretty much crushed by the second place winner. I don't get it either. Did the controversy really deter so many people? Enough vagaries! More to come after the break. Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: I walked into "Paper Heart" knowing nothing about it and walked out feeling both charmed and conflicted. The picture is presented as a low-budget documentary about a low-budget documentary being made by Charlyne Yi (the cute stoned girlfriend in "Knocked Up"). The subject is love: Yi doesn't believe in it, but she wants to find out why so many people do. So she and her producer, Nicholas Jasenovec, and cameraman Jay Hunter set off around the country to learn more.
As they traipse from Amarillo to Albuquerque, and Atlanta to Palm Springs to New York City, we watch Yi bringing her microphone to bear on all sorts of everyday people. An old woman tells her love is a lightning bolt. A college professor says it's a molecular event. She talks to bikers and psychics and high-school sweethearts, and gets a funny scene out of an encounter with an Elvis impersonator in a Las Vegas wedding chapel. To vary the talking-heads texture of the movie, Yi illustrates some of the stories being told to her with elaborate home-made puppet tableaux — which sounds dire, but is actually kind of sweet.
"Paper Heart," directed by Nicholas Jasenovec, is out this Friday. I've been chatting it up a lot here on the blog, as it was one of my favorite flicks from Sundance in January. I'm also an unapologetic "Arrested Development" fanboy, so anything involving Michael Cera (or the rest of the Bluth family) is immediately on my radar. I never even made the connection that Charlyne Yi was the stoner chick from "Knocked Up" until after I saw "Paper Heart."
But I digress. I'm here today to share a couple handfuls of stills from "Paper Heart." It's a part-documentary/part-mockumentary feature in which Yi travels around, interview people on how they define love. These non-fiction bits are crosscut with dramatized scenes from Yi's relationship with Cera. A funny, fun time, and a sweet alternative to the loud, blaring noise of your typical summer blockbuster.
I haven't really highlighted it here, but Mean Magazine and Microsoft have started producing a series of comedic digital shorts in which today's most popular actors remix classic movies. Previous entries have taken on "Tron" (with Cheech & Chong), "Sid & Nancy" (with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and "Point Break" (with members of "Human Giant" and "Reno 911!").
"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" is the big-ticket item this week, but it is far from your only option. The two other wide releases are joined by a trio of attention-worthy limited openings. In short, there's a lot of good stuff on tap for this weekend. So start planning for multiple trips to the theater now.
First up of course is "Joe." I saw it on Saturday. Shhhhh! You know how there's been some negative buzz following it around, along with a dash of controversy? Forget the hype, forget the controversy. Sommers deserved the gig, and he did a great job. The trailers and clips have totally undersold this movie. "Joe" fans of old: buy your tickets now. Remember-- knowing is half the battle. Read more...
In other tweetage, Rainn Wilson shared his unique perspective on "The Incredible Hulk," Jon Favreau switched gears back to acting for his new film "Couples Retreat" and Paris Hilton revealed the name of her new pet, which I predict is way more decadent the the name of your pet. Below, you may feast your eyes on all of these, as well as a potentially shocking confession from Rose McGowan. It's in the Twitter-Wood report for July 29, 2009. Read more...
"Paper Heart" was one of my favorite Sundance '09 screenings. It's a very touching, off-beat little film, part-documentary and part-fiction. Charlyne Yi goes on a cross-country search for the meaning of love with director Nicholas Jasenovec (portrayed in the movie by Jake Johnson) in tow. Interspersed with a series of random interviews are dramatized scenes of Yi's real-life relationship with "Year One" star Michael Cera.
The below video offers a look behind the scenes at how some of these ideas came together. This is the sort of movie that you walk out of with a smile on your face and a newfound lightness in your step. "Paper Heart" opens on August 7, so mark your calendar lovebirds.
The world-famous San Diego Comic-Con began in 1970 under the less-catchy name Golden State Comic Book Convention. Just 300 people showed. 29 years later, it's an explosion of merch, fanboys and fangrrls in or out of costume, video game goodies, movie marketing and boatloads of journalists.
Even before last year's "Twilight" mayhem, Comic-Con was a big attraction for major movie studios looking for a captive audience. People eager to see teaser trailers and watch panels featuring their favorite directors and actors. Superhero flicks or not, it's all about the geek culture.
Even though the hardcore comics fans groan about their hallowed halls being invaded by stampeding game geeks and RPattz fans, it's really win-win for everyone. As movies, comic books and video games become increasingly intertwined, it's only natural that the wider film-loving would be as interested in Neil Gaiman as they are in Guillermo del Toro. So even if you're not on the hunt for a mint condition "Swamp Thing" signed by Alan Moore, there's still plenty for you movie fans to see and do. Read more...
One of the cooler movies I saw this year at Sundance was director Nicholas Jasenovec's "Paper Heart," a sort of fiction/documentary hybrid that follows comedienne Charlyne Yi and her search for the meaning of love. Interspersed between on-camera interviews with real people are dramatized scenes of Yi's real-life relationship with actor Michael Cera. It's all very clever and meta, and you'll get to see it for yourself when the movie hits theaters on August 7.
Now I'm here to tell you lucky San Diego Comic-Con attendees that Yi will be appearing alongside Jasenovec and Jake Johnson (who plays Jasenovec in the movie) for a July 26 panel. Fans will be able to catch the trio talking about the movie and answering questions in Ballroom 20 at the San Diego Convention Center between 12:30pm and 1pm. The luckiest among you may even score a "Paper Heart" button, which you can see the design of in the image above. Read more...