Article by Heather Perry
Every so often, Hollywood throws us another tacky, yet oddly compelling flick. Ladies and gentleman, the gimmick movie.
From William Castle's electrifying publicity stunts to Johnny Depp's real-clock "Nick of Time" to the simulated drive-in of "Grindhouse," they're fun, they're different, and quite possibly a bit stupid. So, with "Vantage Point" now in theaters, the question is obvious: Can we enjoy it, without feeling so dirty afterwards?
"It does have a device that carries the storytelling," Forrest Whitaker said of the political thriller, which portrays the same chunk of time, over and over again from different angles. "That device is a really interesting one, because the movie is just about looking at the same situation from different points of view." Read more...
Few things are as powerful to watch with a crowd as a romantic film that sets the waterworks flowing all around. And when actors William Hurt, Kristen Stewart and Maria Bello came to Sundance to unspool "The Yellow Handkerchief" Friday, the majority of the crowd found themselves wishing they had some hankies of their own.
Directed by acclaimed Indian filmmaker Udayan Prasad, the film plays like "The Notebook" -- if James Garner's character had been convicted murderer. Following two generations of troubled lovers, it aims to appeal to both a teenage audience and their parents. Read more...
One Hulk, Two Hulk, Red Hulk, Blue Hulk -- when is one Hulk not enough? When there's going to be yet another movie version and a new comic version.
"The Incredible Hulk," a reboot of Ang Lee's 2003 take on "The Hulk," isn't upsetting the actors from the last go-round, at least not enough to cause any real tears. "Boo hoo," said Sam Elliott, pretending to cry over being replaced by William Hurt as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. "That's a little weird [to see someone take your part]. But I happen to be a huge Edward Norton fan, and I think he's a great choice for the Hulk. I'm sure he'll be incredible."
Ditto for Jennifer Connelly, who played his daughter. "I love Liv [Tyler]," Connelly said of the next Betty Ross. "She's a friend of mine and I'm so excited that she's doing it and I can't wait to see it. I love Ed [Norton] as well, and I can't wait to see what Ed does with it." Read more...
Ethan Hawke may be out of Julie Delpy's upcoming drama, "The Countess," but she's just added a dose of cool to the growing cast with one of our favorite actors: William Hurt.
Delpy, currently making the rounds promoting her feature directing debut "2 Days in Paris," was excited to tell us that "William Hurt is now on board. And so is Daniel Bruhl (who appears in her current film), a fantastic German actor."
So who does Hurt portray in this telling of Elizabeth Bathory, the famed "blood Countess" of the 16th century? Delpy told us he "is playing the most Machiavellian [character]. He's not a murderer. He's a very powerful man. There's a lot of political intrigue." Read more...
"Mr. Brooks" is being heralded as the triumphant re-return of Kevin Costner; whether or not that's the case, it'll at least be known as the first serious role for comedian Dane Cook. The pic, which also stars Demi Moore and William Hurt, features Costner as Mr. Brooks, a seemingly perfect gentlemen who also happens to be a serial killer. All well and dandy until someone (Cook) witnesses his crimes, and gets hunted by a tenacious detective (Moore). Catch "Mr. Brooks" in theaters on June 1st, but for now watch an exclusive clip below.
