Updateless

Apologies for the lack of posting this past week but I've just been too busy loving these people.

I Will Die Happy; Countdown to a Sexy, Daniel Day-Lewis Induced Musical Coma: Nine

So as most people know it isn't every day that Daniel Day-Lewis agrees to be in a movie. In fact, once everyone realized that he is the most talented actor alive--which he is--he really removed himself from Hollywood and the filmmaking industry to focus on his family, returning only because he:
a. Was tricked into having lunch with Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio so they could convince him to return for his would-be first film in 5 years and play Bill "the Butcher" Cutting in Gangs of New York--good work guys!
b. Support his wife Rebecca Miller, daughter of famous writer Arthur Miller, in 2005's The Ballad of Jack and Rose which she wrote and directed.
c. Is talented, and a talented person will know another talented person when they see one, or when they get a phone call (cough, impromptu visit to a cobblershop where a certain Mr. Day-Lewis was apprenticing, cough) from Paul Thomas Anderson.

Seriously though, I was happy to see him three times in 5 years--I considered that a treat--so in the fall of 2008 when it was announced that he would be in ANOTHER film coming out in 2009 I was fucking psyched. Then, on top of all that, the film was announced to be an adaptation of the musical Nine. Brilliant. I myself have never seen the show but I am a giant fan of big budget Hollywood musicals and there is no way in hell he would ever be in something less than spectacular, regardless because anything he is in is immediately rendered incapable of being less than spectacular anyway. This movie became officially exempt from negative criticism the second he stepped on board, however, had he not one could still predict great things because of the remaining cast.

Academy Award winners Dame Judi Dench (epic British talent), Marion Cotillard (gorgeous French siren talent), Penelope Cruz (spicy upgrade Spanish talent), Nicole Kidman (will stop being boring and remind everyone she can act, smile and play a quality temptress Australian talent), Sophia Loren (legendary iconic diva cougar Italian talent), Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson (cute redeeming blonde Hollywood legacy bubbly seductress talent) and Stacy Ferguson (Fergie. Random and not my favorite idea but the girl can sing and dance, and sometimes not look like a tranny talent (tentatively)). Not much to question with that cast. A who's who of some of the sexiest women in the world now, then and always with a man who oozes accolades and humble, off-the-charts sex appeal . Then there is the story.

Daniel Day-Lewis is a filmmaker who attempts to balance his work and personal life while coddling his relationships with the women around him. This provocative musical of mistresses filled with burlesque, cabaret, drama and deciet and a bunch of seriously sexy people is about to make my life complete. I will gladly watch hours of him getting it on with this group of ladies. It will be nice to see him play someone mild, vibrant and charming yet intense, troubled and corrupt.

The trailer looks phenomenal. Costumes, lovely. Set/Lighting, fantastic. Music, incredible. Cinematography, always great to see how people pull off the film-within-a-film idea. Choreography, bomb. This movie is going to be amazing. Expect to hear about it. A lot. Scheduled for a November 25 release and directed/choreographed by Rob Marshall (of Memoirs of a Geisha and Chicago--hell yes) this will be epic. E-P-I-C.

Watch the trailer in HD, then watch it again, drink some water, take a cold shower, continue watching. Repeat. 193 days. I am crippled with excitement. I'll go change my pants now.

I encourage you to visit the site and watch it in the larger scale HD version, this is the best I can fit on here without cutting anything off. http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/nine/trailer

Russell Brand to Star in Remake of Drop Dead Fred

I for one am excited about this. I think the original film--which starred now imaginary actress, and Mrs. Kevin Kline, Pheobe Cates and comedian(?) Rik Mayall--was a hot mess but with some work the story was actually a rather funny idea. Good film gone wrong in my opinion. I saw Drop Dead Fred at a friend's house in like 6th or 7th grade and she had a much more advanced sense of humor than I did then so she thought it was hilarious but I missed it completely. Since then I've seen the film a few times and now I understand the cult appeal behind it. While it got dismal reviews and did nothing at box-offices it has become one of those movies you hate to love and looooove to hate, thus it is a giant cult hit. Not giant like The Big Lebowski but giant as in those who like it really like it.

Anyway, the reworking of the film is under-way and not a lot of information has been released. So far we know the answer to the big question though, Fred will be played by uber-comedian Russell Brand. Now Brand of course is known for his recent American film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the upcoming Get Him to the Greek but he is honestly a huge star overseas and I think he is one of the funniest guys out there. I am mildly obsessed. He is eccentric, brash, unafraid, unapologetic, witty and just fucking funny. Who better to wreak havoc on the life of a downtrodden young woman? No one! I think he is the perfect choice and will be the key to the new film's success (hopefully). SNL writer Dennis McNicholas, who most recently wrote Will Farrell's latest Land of the Lost, is already on board to do the bulk of the story while LOTL collaborator and director Brad Silberling may be in to direct.

We'll have to see when Land of the Lost comes out whether or not we have the faith in this duo, but at the moment I have high hopes. As more information comes out about the cast there may be some rise and fall in my optimism but for now Universal exec's have said they want the film to be more of a likeness to Beetlejuice and I think the slightly darker, twisty approach mixed with Brand's dry, adult humor will pull this one off. Penny for your thoughts?


*Update: Land of the Lost blows. I'm sad. Opportunity for redemption? Please!!!!!

Crash

So I'm getting ready to go to work, and by that I mean watching Crash on FX and eating cookies and completely forgot about a certain someone with a certain uncomfortable cameo. I really don't have much that I want to say about this movie at the moment besides, does anyone else think it's really awkward and out of place to have Tony Danza (mcwhats?!) play the racist actor to Terrence Howard's repressed director? I mean really, how did he even land this role? And who was there in his audition where he just threw around a lot of racist slurs and went "Ohhhhhhhh thats convincing, Tony, formerly of the Danza show, is a big time actor who never played a manny/housekeeper and is a raging bigot". It is just borderline funny because of how unrealistic and weird it is. Random. Please filmmakers, dont do that again.

PS. The little girl with the inpenatrable cloak is the cutest thing ever, and when she runs out and blank blank blank happens (no spoilers here folks!) and then she says _____ to her dad, precious. Crazy precious, gimme one.

Nevermind, I suddenly have things to say about this movie but I'll keep it short. Whoever managed to make an Academy Award winning film starring Brendan Fraser, Matt Dillon and Sandra Bullock (with the help of actual actors Don Cheadle, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillipe, Don Cheadle, Don Cheadle and Terrence Howard) gets a high five. Great ensemble apart from the above-mentioned. And the part where Sandra Bullock falls down the stairs is stupid. Oh, and I recall HBO was going to create a spin-off show, thank god that never got on it's feet. Ok, that's it!

Keanu? Really?

This isn't going to be another commentary on how Keanu is a bad actor and manages to make every serious moment in a film seem like it was a production at an Orange County High School but why do casting directors keep picking him?! Wait, no, he probably didn't have to audition which is even worse. He has just been chosen to play the lead in a new Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde remake and what a mess it will be, not that there have been recent successful attempts at it (frankly the best I've seen lately is the tiny segment in The Pagemaster), but c'mon, it really is a great opportunity to make a dark, dramatic film that takes a smart approach to looking at human nature and you pick freaking Keanu Reeves. Fail. I mean for fucks sake, pick Hugh Jackman if you want an overrated actor--not that I'm not a fan, I totally watch Van Helsing every time it's on TV and think Mr. Jackman has upgraded since The Prestige--but not Keanu. His only saving grace was The Matrix and yes, only the first one, yet he continues to be cast in movies with potential like A Scanner Darkly which worked only despite him, and Much Ado About Nothing which he famously destroyed. Please, keep him in movies like The Replacements so that he can actually be enjoyed without trying too hard. He knows kung-fu, not how to act guys. The Strange Case of Dr. Dude and Totally Hyde should be great. Idiots.

Countdown to: Where the Wild Things Are

Alright, this one is no big secret. For the past year there has been excitement surrounding Spike Jonze's latest film, an adaption of the best children's book of all time, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE!!!! At the moment it is scheduled for an October 16, 2009 release date and sweet jesus I hope that turns out to be true because if it gets pushed back I, along with the half of the world that matters enough to care, will cry myself to death. There is already so much to be said for this film. From the first seconds of the trailer with the signature Wild Things scratchy, bitten, askewed font and logo you know that whatever follows will officially be the tits. And it is. First off, it marks Spike Jonze' first "real" writing credit for a film which may seem scary, especially because his co-writer is another newcomer, Dave Eggers, but reports have said that he has been in close contact with Maurice Sendack (writer of the original book) throughout and he has given his 100% approval of the screenplay. Thank god.

Secondly, costuming. Sweet. Despite heavy CGI in the film I fully expect awards for the incredible likeness maintained, Max's costume in the film looks just like the homemade version from the book brought to life. Come to mention the CGI, I AM SO FUCKING AMAZED! I showed the trailer to my mom and aunt and it took those two about half an hour to realize the animated Wild Things weren't puppets. They were so stuck on The Dark Crystal it was insane. As of now I'm not sure if the amount of live-action (if any) warrants any sort of Best Animated Picture nominations but hell I pick it for Best Picture period at this point! The characters look so realistic I forget when watching the trailer that a computer could possibly create something so real. I cannot give enough kudos to the team behind this film for bringing to such realistic, perfect life to these unforgettable drawings and images. I am just in awe. Then there is the music. The trailer already gives a peek of what is in store with a re-recording of the Arcade Fire's song "Wake Up" from Funeral. Other names reported to be involved are The Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O, Deerhunter's Bradford Cox and uber-composer of film scores Carter Burwell who has done work for movies from A Goofy Movie to No Country To Old Men to recent soundtrack chart topper Twilight. Regardless of who took the lead on this one--cough, Burwell, cough--the music is going to be phenomenal. Then there is the cinematography. Judging from thus released sneak peeks and trailers and images this movie is going to be a beautiful, enchanting spectacle. It is lent such an otherworldy feel by the lighting and camera movement that is exactly what it needs to evoke the book. The atmosphere is this unreal mixture of sunny and overcast, like a world where there is no daytime but instead you have dawn, dusk and night. Gorgeous.

Lastly, the cast. The lead is played by real-life Max [Records] who is in his second notable role (the first is this year's The Brother's Bloom) and he is going to be such a household name after this, and what a name I mean Max Records? His parents named him for show business. The rest of the cast is also stacked with Forest Whittaker, Catherine O'Hara, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano and many others. This movie is definitely something not to miss and I don't think people will. The book which came out in 1963 immediately became a hit with it's generation and all that followed so when this film comes out the audience is sure to be a combination of the four decades that grew up on it and then children who are soon to grow up on it, assuming the parents aren't completely worthless and have any intention of their kids being decent human beings. It is exciting and relieving to know that an attempt at recreating something so everlasting and so great has actually been pulled off. Literally counting the days to this. 163 to go. Told you. Check out the trailer below (any bigger and it would have cut of the edges of the sheer awesomeness) as well as the just released second poster.

By the way, press HD, it really does make it better. Or go to http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/where-the-wild-things-are/trailer for a larger version. Enjoy!

Goodbye to Dom DeLuise

It's a solemn Cinco de Mayo with the loss of famed actor, and sometimes chef, Dom DeLuise at age 75. The Brooklyn native became known for his signature voice and unparallelled enthusiasm, frequently appearing in Mel Brooks films, most famously in Blazing Saddles as Buddy Bizarre and Spaceballs as Pizza the Hut. Though these may be some of his more notable roles if you're under the age of 30 like me you probably unknowingly grew up with this guy as he played Tiger in the An American Tale films, Fagin in Oliver and Company, and Itchy in All Dogs Go To Heaven and it's follow-ups. Combined all of these characters comprise only a small portion of his huge resume of famous voice-lent and live-action performances. I remember I had a straight to VHS version of Snow White as a sort of sequel, a real masterpiece, called Happily Ever After in which he played the magic mirror so I would have dreams narrated by this teddybear of a man's unmistakable voice as a little girl so I find myself heartbroken by his death. I'm definitely having myself a DeLuise marathon weekend to remember this charming, joyful and funny man. RIP <3.>

I couldn't find the full clip, but one of my favorite parts by him is the first of his reoccuring bit roles in The Muppet Movie, I posted the trailer where it shows him discovering Kermit immediately after singing the great song, "Rainbow Connection". If I find a better clip of it I will replace this one.