Today is Veteran's Day. It is a time when we step back for a moment to honor the bravery and sacrifices of our nation's soldiers. Men and women who give everything, up to and including their lives, all in the name of protecting this country and all that it represents. Also known as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, the holiday always falls on November 11, commemorating the anniversary of the 1918 armistice that brought an end to World War I.
The history of film is rife with stories pulled straight from the front lines. War stories make great cinema, both because they serve up gripping tales of heroism and because they honor those who take on such acts in the real world. So today, in honor of the veterans from wars past and wars ongoing, we give you this small selection of classics to spend some time with. It isn't an "all time" picks list; just some suggestions. And make sure you click the pic at the top of the post to check out our Veteran's Day photo gallery for some cool vintage stills. Read more...
-- No tricks here, Michael Jackson fans are getting a Halloween treat when Sony Pictures puts out a digestible version of the much-discussed final rehearsal footage. In a throwback to "Captain EO," select bits will be presented in 3-D. Speaking of "EO," wouldn't it be nifty of some of those 3-D clips turned out to be from the Disney attraction? The words "career retrospective" are mentioned after all. (MTV)
-- It still feels so strange to know with absolute certainty that a "Wall Street" sequel is happening. It is though, and the "Money Never Sleeps" cast just got bigger. Frank Langella is in, playing a seasoned broker who mentors Shia LaBeouf's young up-and-comer. The role is said to play "a major part in the film's plot." (Variety) Read more...
Tags Change Up, charles roven, David Dobkin, Jon Lucas, kathryn bigelow, Mark Boal, michael jackson, money never sleeps, Scott Moore, the hangover, the hurt locker, Triple Frontier, Underworld 4, wall street 2
This is purely a premature news bite. In a recent interview with his hometown newspaper, The Modesto Bee, "The Hurt Locker" star Jeremy Renner mentioned that he’s “fighting” to get a role in a new “Mad Max” movie. Renner says that he’s screen testing and taking a meeting with director George Miller for the gig, though he shares no specifics on what character he’s up for.
Given his rising status in Hollywood, it’s likely that Renner is looking to nab the lead in the fourth installment of the “Max” franchise, which reportedly will not feature original star Mel Gibson. Still, it’s not even completely known what the next installment of the series will be like. Back in May, we shared the news that Miller is prepping for the sequel, with location scouting and a tentative start planned for the end of the year. Read more...
Wow is this a busy week. After the runaway success of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" last week -- and other shoe-in blockbusters in the weeks before it -- it's nice to see a little bit of variety for Friday's releases. "G-Force," with showings in two and three dimensions both, is an easy weekend win for families, provided they're not making a repeat (or first-time) trip to Hogwarts.
The CG animated adventure about a secret agent force of talking guinea pigs is a big-ticket item for a number of reasons. It is Disney's first (non-concert) live-action release shot in Digital 3-D. It is also produced by blockbuster-meister Jerry Bruckheimer in his 3-D debut. Then there's the knockout ensemble cast, which includes Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan, Will Arnett, Bill Nighy and Zach Galifianakis. Yeah, wow. Read more...
Tags bill nighy, G-Force, gerard butler, In the Loop, katherine heigl, nicolas cage, Orphan, penelope cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, shrink, Steve Buscemi, The Answer Man, the hurt locker, The Ugly Truth, tracy morgan, Vera Farmiga, will arnett, zach galifianakis
FROM MTV.COM: “The Hurt Locker” is a movie about war, and it’s set in Iraq, but it’s not another Iraq War Movie. Director Kathryn Bigelow and the screenwriter, combat journalist Mark Boal, are too smart and tough-minded to inflate the story with windy political pieties. It’s a film about war as an every-damn-day environment, and about the men who have to live in it — and to accept the fact that they may die in it, too, very suddenly.
The picture is set in Baghdad in 2004, one year after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. We’re on patrol with a three-man bomb squad charged with disarming the deadly Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, with which terrorists have littered the city and its environs. The team consists of Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) and Staff Sergeant Matt Thompson (Guy Pearce), the team leader.
Continue reading ‘The Hurt Locker’: World Of Warfare, By Kurt Loder
FROM MTV.COM: "The Hurt Locker" is a movie about war, and it's set in Iraq, but it's not another Iraq War Movie. Director Kathryn Bigelow and the screenwriter, combat journalist Mark Boal, are too smart and tough-minded to inflate the story with windy political pieties. It's a film about war as an every-damn-day environment, and about the men who have to live in it — and to accept the fact that they may die in it, too, very suddenly.
The picture is set in Baghdad in 2004, one year after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. We're on patrol with a three-man bomb squad charged with disarming the deadly Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, with which terrorists have littered the city and its environs. The team consists of Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) and Staff Sergeant Matt Thompson (Guy Pearce), the team leader.
Continue reading 'The Hurt Locker': World Of Warfare, By Kurt Loder
Good afternoon readers! I hope your collective Fridays are going swimmingly. I know my vision is swimming, but I'm also running on less than five hours sleep and a whole lot of root beer!
So I decided earlier in the week that the Monday morning Box Office Poll roundup is just too long. And really, is it helpful to know how your peers voted after the weekend is over? So I've decided to break things up a bit, and feed you the poll results every Friday afternoon instead. Not that it really matters week, since we all know where your votes fell. Read more...
Yes, yes... we get big explosions and giant fighting robots starting this Wednesday. First let's talk about last week. Your votes have been tallied, and most of you -- 34% to be precise -- picked "Year One," which flopped in at number four on the weekly charts with a $20 million box office take. What gives, people? Oh wait... I missed "Year One" too.
No, my $9.50 ticket price (thank you indie theater) instead contributed to the $27 million take for "The Hangover." The weekend's big box office winner was "The Proposal," which snagged 24% of your votes. I apparently misunderestimated the appeal of a Sandra Bullock/Ryan Reynolds-led rom-com. Also, I made up the word "misunderestimated." Okay, fine... it wasn't me. "Dead Snow" rounded out third place with 20%; I hope you 20-percenters enjoyed it. I can't wait. Read more...
