Friday, 3 August 2007

Weekend of Fun

So I will not be blogging this weekend as much as I am off to Brighton for gay pride. it is by far the best pride celebration and me and 4 friends are catching the gay train express all the way down.

Should be back to blogging very soon. In the mean time check out AMAZING trailers for ""We Own The Night", ""Rendition" and the wonderfully head trippy ""The Nines".

Oscar is comming!

Jared Leto is Mr. Nobody

And I am not being mean.

Jared Leto and Sarah Polley will star in Mr. Nobody, a romantic drama from writer-director Jaco Van Dormael.
The story, said to be inspired by the so-called ‘butterfly effect', is about Nemo Nobody who leads an ordinary existence at his wife's side, Elise, and their 3 children until the day when reality skids and he wakes up as an old man in the year 2092.
At 120, Mr. Nobody is both the oldest man in the world and the last mortal of a new mankind where nobody dies anymore. But that doesn't seem to interest or bother him very much. The only questions that preoccupy him in the present is whether he lived the right life for himself, loved the woman whom he was supposed to love, and had the children whom he was meant to have... now his purpose is to find the right answer.

The film will be the Belgian Dormael's first English-language feature project.
His last movie, 1996's Le huitieme jour was a Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm nominee. Shooting is scheduled to begin next week.

Now this sounds like it could be interesting. Leto has not impressed me since “Requiem for a Dream” so lets hope he is up to the challenge, as this sounds like it could be a very difficult role to wrap your head around. As we saw in “Panic Room” he does have a tendency to over-act (my word was he ever annoying in that movie). Let us hope it is more along the lines of Hugh Jackman in “The Fountain” (although my doubts are high)

Polley on the other hand is one of those actresses that hardly stumble. Although she tends towards rather sad and quiet material, she has a face that I could watch for days, so I am looking forward to seeing what she does with the material.
Since the very brief plot outline makes it sound like it could be a weepy, expect her to be restrained enough to really tug at the heart strings with emotional honesty (“My Life Without Me” still haunts me). Plus she is having a stellar time this year, with her directing debut garnering raves.
It is only a matter of time before she is justly rewarded by her peers.

Thursday, 2 August 2007

No End in Sight trailer

I sometimes feel that this is the end of the world. I see no way out of the mess we are in. Then I see things like this (thanks to Sasha Stone) and it gives me hope that there is at least a dialogue being permitted, no matter how small, and no matter how few people it is between.
I also feel documentaries like this need to be played on national US TV networks and not theaters. If this makes it into a movie theater, do you think Mr. and Mrs. Middle America are gonna fork out $$$ for it, or the latest blockbuster?
A shame, but at least it can still get made.

Wednesday, 1 August 2007

Madonna album track list (rumored) !!!

Still apprehensive but still, a new Madonna album is always an exciting thing, even if it is not her best. It will still be played by me for months on end. Any news is good news, so from the site of Perez Hilton (I am addicted to this site)

Just file this under unsubstantiated and possibly true but fun reading material either way. It gives us a sense on where things are going.

Here is some info on the songs Madonna has reportedly been working on for her new album!

ALL tracks are in DEMO stages and unfinished. The Candy Store clip that leaked is an EARLY demo, and the song went through a dramatic change, apparently.

Here is the LATEST list of the 2007 RECORDING SESSIONS:

************************************************
************************************************
************************************************

01. Sleep Deprivation
02. Turn It Up
03. Going Down
04. Little Thang (feat Justin Timberlake)
05. It’s The Beat
06. Tight Fit
07. Black
08. Off The Hook (feat Timbaland)
09. Candy Store (feat Pharrell)
10. Eleven Minutes
11. Do I Care
12. Freelancer.34
13. U n M
14. Starlight
15. Hit It Hard
16. Got This Down Right


************************************************
************************************************
************************************************

Now, here is some additional info on the album:

*** SLEEP DEPRIVATION is a favorite by both Madonna, the producers and the label. VERY LIKELY to become a single. Apparently it’s ‘’revolutionary and fierce'’.

*** GOING DOWN has really raunchy lyrics, and it started as a joke. Timberlake worked on it with Madonna.

*** The rumored title PRETTY LITTLE THANG is in fact called LITTLE THANG and it includes a verse by JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. It’s a ‘’midtempo summer jam with a fresh beat'’

*** BLACK is the rumored track called WIZZLE, and it’s ‘’organic, crazy and it will rumble your worlds'’

*** The rumored track called THE BEAT GOES ON is actually called IT’S THE BEAT.

*** OFF THE HOOK is the Timbaland collaboration. Two were recorded, another one he’s saving for his next solo record. Single possibly, the executives loved it.

*** CANDY STORE probably WONT be on the record, along with HIT IT HARD and DO I CARE. Apparently, Madonna is ‘’over them'’.

*** FREELANCER.34 is ‘’very experimental'’ and still completely unfinished. Might become a sort of intro or outro to one of the songs.

*** U n M is another label favorite, supposedly it’s something very new for Madonna.

Oh what a circus

Benicio del Toro is starring as Argentine communist revolutionary Che Gueverra in an upcoming movie directed by Steven Soderbergh.
The film reunites del Toro with Soderbergh for the first time since Traffic, which earned the actor a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a Mexican police officer.

It will be interesting to see how well this picture does. Del Torro is a very capable actor, so no doubt he will be high on the list Best Actor Oscar predictions.
Sad thing is, that when films like this get announced, they are automatically thought of as awards calibre before they even begin shooting.
That is a lot to live up to.
What I will looking forward to is seeing how his two co-stars fair up, as they are both Oscar nominees as well.
Lets hope it is not all about the Benicio and Julia Ormond and Catalina Sandino Moreno will be the surprise attention getters.

Monday, 30 July 2007

The ever different Johnny Depp

The delectable Johnny Depp is keeping himself VERY busy as of late. He has just signed on to channel Hunter S. Thompson once again in Warner Independent's adaptation of "The Rum Diary." Bruce Robinson will write and direct the adaptation, which Film Engine is also producing.

From Variety:

Depp will play Paul Kemp, a freelance journo writing for a rundown newspaper in 1950s Puerto Rico and surrounded by a bunch of lost souls bent on self-destruction. The journo was 22 when he wrote the autobiographical novel and had yet to develop his trademark gonzo style. It was written in 1959 but not published until 1998.

Johnny had previously starred in the bigscreen adaptation of Thompson's psychedelic-soaked adventures chronicled in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," published in 1972.
He has just finished work on "Sweeney Todd" and has already packed hi schedule with high profile films.
Next up is the fantastic Mira Nair’s adaptation of "Shantaram," the novel about an Australian drug addict who resumes his life of crime after escaping to India.
Infinitum and King are producing that project with Plan B. The novel is supposed to be brilliant, so that is something I am going to need to add to my Amazon wish list.

Depp has also announced that he wishes to make the big screen adaptation of the 1960s supernatural soap opera “Dark Shadows”. The series featured vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts, and zombies. Depp has mentioned in interviews that he is obsessed with “Dark Shadows” and that when he was a kid he wanted to be Barnabas Collins, the vampire patriarch of the series, originally played by Jonathan Frid.

Johnny as a vampire. I am so there. I only saw a few episodes of the show, but have always had very fond memories of what I remember. Is it me, or does having Johnny attached to a film these days, carry a kind of president, like insurance that the film will be either good, or a box office success?

Star Wattage in spades

There is something about her that makes me sit up and notice, makes me want her (as a gay man that is a HUGE achievement). Perhaps it is just her striking looks, and ample sex appeal. I am not sure, but what I do know is I constantly root for this woman. I want her to succeed as an actress.
Behind the exotic beauty there lies a very sharp and intelligent thespian.
Every role she has played, even over the top ones, has been thought out. She knows when to hold back and when to go for it with gun a-blazing.

I am of course talking about Rosario Dawson.

I first noticed her in her 1995 debut “Kids”, and she stood out from many of the other cast members with her natural way in front of the camera.
Her resume reads like a series of near misses, what were you thinkings and nearly theres in terms of the quality of the film. Performance wise she usually transcends the crap, and compliments the successes.

Her upcoming films are a little sparse what with the upcoming “Poor Things” in limbo due to Lindsay “Selfish Bitch” Lohan being arrested. (I understand there are a lot of pressures being a child star in the spotlight, but so many other actors are able to adjust. Not only have you messed up production on a film that people were excited about, but you are also uninsurable in Hollywood. Uninsurable = No Career you stupid cow)

Back to Dawson.
One film that could get her the major attention she deserves is “Descent”. She plays college co-ed who is brutally raped, and tries to rebuild her life, and exact revenge.
Sounds a little ‘been-there-done-that’ but if advance reviews are anything to go by, she carries the movie completely.
I am not saying this is Oscar worthy yet, but it could be something along the lines of “Sherry Baby” which got it’s star major notice, and a lot more work. She has the looks, but far more importantly she has the talent. Perhaps it is those looks that hold her back in the casting process, who knows.
This film interests me greatly, but until it is released and we have a better idea I won't put my eggs in her basket yet. Here is the trailer.

Sunday, 29 July 2007

Exclusive "Iron Man" footage

If you are interested.

Footage from the "Comic Con" trailer for the upcoming film, "Iron Man" has been posted on YouTube. I expect the studio to release something better quality soon.

Fugly is the new pretty.

If you haven’t checked them out yet, you so need to.
We all love celebrity fashion mistakes, but these two girls (Jessica and Heather) say what we are not witty enough to even think. I love my daily dose of their scathing critiques and many times laugh out loud at what they write.
They should really be invited to host all red carpet events from now on! Someone hire them!!

This is one of those sites that is really worth delving deep into and checking out the archives. Especially Sharon Stones (pictured) page.

For now check out this hysterical look at the Becks and Posh party hosted by the gay midget and his contractual bride.