To paraphrase an IM conversation I just had with a friend regarding the trailer for Gus van Sant's forthcoming biopic, Milk: he thought the trailer was "incredible", whereas I felt it painted openly gay elected official Harvey Milk in a bit too saintly a light, at least within those two-and-a-half minutes, much to his chagrin.
I'm not saying that the real-life Milk wasn't a key figure in the fight for gay rights; I'm not saying that he deserved to be assassinated by Dan White (Josh Brolin); I'm not saying that Sean Penn doesn't look or sound just like the guy (that, I cannot speak for) and won't turn in an impressive performance. All I can speak for is the trailer itself and how I felt towards it.
So, as I go to put the 1984 Oscar-winning doc The Trials of Harvey Milk in my Netflix Queue, in the name of knowing better, would any of you care to attest for both the accuracy and anticipation behind this project?
Suffering from the Hollywood blockbuster blues? Have I got some indies for you! All three are newly available this week on DVD.
Kim Voynar called Vadim Perelman's The Life Before Her Eyes "a lovely, nuanced film packed with imagery, and bracketed by an intriguing storyline." The story revolves around the survivor of a school shooting; Uma Thurman plays her as an adult and Evan Rachel Wood as a teenager. Kim wrote in part: "I'd expect the director's commentary on the DVD to be intriguing." The DVD does indeed feature an audio commentary by the director, joined by production designer Maia Javan. Also included are deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and several other mini-features. A Blu-ray edition is also available.
Kim also reviewed Tommy O'Haver's An American Crime when it debuted at Sundance last year. Based on the true tragedy of teenage Sylvia Likens (Ellen Page) who was "brutally beaten, burned, starved and tortured to death" in 1965 Indiana, Kim said the film was difficult to watch. "The real question ... is not just how the Sylvia Likens case could have happened, but why situations like this happen at all -- and still do." Catherine Keener and James Franco also star. The DVD doesn't appear to have any supplemental material.
On the lighter side, Bharat Nalluri's Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day "is a nearly perfect piece of entertainment for grownups," according to James Rocchi. Frances McDormand plays a down-on-her-luck British governess and Amy Adams essays her employer, an American singer / actress in late 1930s London. The DVD includes a "making of," deleted scenes, and "Miss Pettigrew's Long Trip to Hollywood."
Sure, I've already shared Seth Rogen's audition for Freaks and Geeks, but since the comedic wonder that is The Pineapple Express is finally here, it's a pretty good time to share old-school Saul and Dale before they reunited, hit the chronic, and got themselves in trouble with dangerous drug dealers. A good ten years ago, they were living in 1980. In the above clip, James Franco's Daniel spends a lot of time going punk, and then Nick (Jason Segel) and Ken (Rogen) make fun of him for his new look, full of distressed clothing and eggy hair.
Most of the kid's from Judd Apatow's old show have come a long way, many of them reuniting over and over in the Apatow universe. But I have to say -- it's high time Sarah Hagan gets a piece of the action. It's just wrong that her last movie was Orange County. Even a little cameo. Just a tiny one to start ... Whaddya say, Judd?
Cross-overs, an old television standard, have been slowly making their way through the world of cinema. But forget the geek crossovers that popped up this summer because there might be a more comedic twist on the way. While talking with MTV, James Franco says there has been discussion about a crossover sequel for Superbadand The Pineapple Express. But it wouldn't be a normal intermingling of characters.
Franco noted that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg weren't very interested in the idea of a Superbad sequel, "And so, an answer to that was to do a Superbad/Pineapple Express crossover, an unprecedented crossover movie with two directors, Greg Motolla and David Gordon Green, each directing half of the movie and somehow these characters get together, which doesn't make sense at all, but could work."
I could see a scenario where Seth gets too into Saul's weed after feeling shunned at the burgeoning friendship between McLovin and Evan, gets into trouble, and Evan has to save him ... maybe with help from the flying-through-the-air Dale and information from Saul. What I don't see is how it would work to do a half-and-half movie.
But what do you think? Should all the kids meet? If so, how should it be done?
(No, I'm not stoned. It's just that Pineapple Express opens today (8/6), but my review was published over a week ago. This reprint is brought to you by Cinematical's Recycling Division. We care about wasted bandwidth.)
I won't get into the precise reasons, but my friends always seem to think I'm going to LOVE the next big "pot comedy." They chuckle and assume such silly things despite the fact that the only real pothead comedies that I truly enjoy are Up in Smoke, Next Movie, and a large portion of the Harold & Kumar misadventures. Frankly I'm of the opinion that most pot comedies feel like they were written by someone very stoned, and let's just say that writers don't always do their best work when they're extra-baked. (They might THINK their stuff is hilarious, but usually it's not. That's just the weed talking.) Oh, you'll definitely find a few cannabis-caked giggles in Half-Baked, Grandma's Boy, and Smiley Face -- just not enough to sustain a whole movie, if it's me you're asking.
So it is with much pleasure, enthusiasm, and recently-applied Visine that I offer you Pineapple Express, which just may be the Casablanca of Pot Comedies. Or perhaps it's more like When Ultra-High Harry Met Super-Stoned Sally, but either way Pineapple Express showcases some of the funniest "weed culture" insights since the arrival of Richard Linklater's fantastic Dazed & Confused -- which I wouldn't call a full-bore "pot comedy," but it sure isn't shy about passing those joints around. Best of all, while Pineapple Express will absolutely appeal to both the casual and committed pot-smokers, it's also just a very funny buddy comedy / action flick parody that comes bearing the very unique stamp of director David Gordon Green.
Despite a lack of any real range, Mark Ruffalo is one of my favorite actors -- it's just so easy to identify with the affable schlub character he's made his forte. He's always seemed like a smart guy -- he's made smart choices -- so I'm looking forward to his just-announced directorial debut, the bizarrely titled Sympathy for Delicious. Ruffalo will co-star with James Franco and screenwriter Chris Thornton.
It's hard to know what to make of the premise. "Delicious" is actually the name of a DJ, played by Thornton, who becomes paralyzed and apparently homeless in Los Angeles. He toys with faith healing and discovers the ability to heal people (though not himself), which makes him famous. Ruffalo plays a Jesuit priest who tries to help him; Franco a rock star who tries to exploit him."
I believe we're talking about this Chris Thornton, whose most significant credit is a part in Pretty Persuasion, and who is handicapped in real life following a rock-climbing fall. The all-seeing, all-knowing IMDb claims he's best friends with Ruffalo. The movie sounds like something that might get trapped in the festival circuit, though we'll see -- Franco's presence might help.
If there's one film that's going to finally beat The Dark Knight at the box office this weekend, it's the hip, hysterical Apatow-produced stoner action/comedy Pineapple Express. Seth Rogen stars as a process server/stoner who, along with his flaky pot dealer (James Franco), go on the run from a crooked cop and a drug kingpin after witnessing them commit a murder. While you can't see the movie in theaters until tomorrow, we've got you covered: Rogen and Franco sat down for another installment in Moviefone's fabulous Unscripted series, where stars interview one another using your questions and some of their own.
Above you'll see an outtake from their chat that's only featured here on Cinematical (the boys talk Hudson Hawk, Shane Black, etc ...), then you can skip on over to Moviefone and watch the entire thing. In it, Rogen and Franco talk about Pineapple Express, they wonder what their Freaks and Geeks characters would be up to today, why James Franco won't be acting much in the near future and what they consider to be the best stoner movie of all time, among a slew of other things. Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of either dude, or you just feel like laughing a little this morning. I'll be back later with some more quotes from the Pineapple Express NT press day where Rosie Perez was looking totally hot. You go girl!
I won't get into the precise reasons, but my friends always seem to think I'm going to LOVE the next big "pot comedy." They chuckle and assume such silly things despite the fact that the only real pothead comedies that I truly enjoy are Up in Smoke, Next Movie, and a large portion of the Harold & Kumar misadventures. Frankly I'm of the opinion that most pot comedies feel like they were written by someone very stoned, and let's just say that writers don't always do their best work when they're extra-baked. (They might THINK their stuff is hilarious, but usually it's not. That's just the weed talking.) Oh, you'll definitely find a few cannabis-caked giggles in Half-Baked, Grandma's Boy, and Smiley Face -- just not enough to sustain a whole movie, if it's me you're asking.
So it is with much pleasure, enthusiasm, and recently-applied Visine that I offer you Pineapple Express, which just may be the Casablanca of Pot Comedies. Or perhaps it's more like When Ultra-High Harry Met Super-Stoned Sally, but either way Pineapple Express showcases some of the funniest "weed culture" insights since the arrival of Richard Linklater's fantastic Dazed & Confused -- which I wouldn't call a full-bore "pot comedy," but it sure isn't shy about passing those joints around. Best of all, while Pineapple Express will absolutely appeal to both the casual and committed pot-smokers, it's also just a very funny buddy comedy / action flick parody that comes bearing the very unique stamp of director David Gordon Green.
I wonder if the poster powers that be realized the monster they were creating when they whipped up that memorable poster for The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Since Steve Carell's virginal, bright smile graced walls and billboards everywhere, tons of comedies have followed suit, throwing up their takes on the one-face, and Pineapple Express is no exception.
Following the trio poster Jessica posted about in April, Trailer Addict has premiered two new posters, one highlighting Seth Rogen's happily high face, and the other showcasing James Franco's verrrry happy high face. You can see both above, and click to check out larger versions over at TA. They're cute, but man, I hope this trend ends before a really great movie gets burned by the annoyance brought on by a repetitive poster.
Luckily, nothing has deterred me from Pineapple Express yet. 38 days to go until we get lots of stoner action set to the tune of Huey Lewis!
Immediately after watching what appeared to be a last second decision gone awry, I knew people would be talking about it the next day -- especially because it's MTV, because it's a show designed for teens and pre-teens and because Seth Rogen and James Franco kinda made pot smoking "look cool." In an article over at AOL News, Franco admitted that MTV put them up to it -- "even supplying the script, the fake marijuana and the fake joint - then had a last-second change of heart about the bit." That "change of heart" turned into the camera remaining on a wide shot of the stage while Rogen and Franco took hits off the fake joint, coughing in between. Of course, even though the camera was wide, we still heard everything being said -- and could still see the awkward, uncomfortable faces in the crowd, some of whom (like Will Smith) brought their young children with them as dates.
From the article: "MTV wrote it! ... Then backstage there was this big commotion: 'You guys can't say that,"' Franco said. "It says right in the script: 'Lights fake joint."' Of course, this shouldn't take anything away from The Pineapple Express (which I heard was absolutely hysterical and am dying to see), because it's rated R and doesn't pretend to be something it's not. However, the film's green band trailer makes sure not to use the word marijuana or show either character actually putting a joint to their mouth to smoke (going so far as to change the word 'weed' in the trailer song to 'seed') -- so, obviously, it's an issue with the MPAA.
Should it be an issue with the FCC? Did MTV make a huge mistake with this bit, or should they be applauded for taking the comedic risk? (Check out the video after the jump and let us know ...)
While the 2008 MTV Movie Awards was probably more like one long commercial for summer movies than it was an actual awards show, there were some funny, memorable bits featuring old friends and a few clips worth mentioning for those who missed it last night. (Anyone else catch Brendan Fraser screaming like a lunatic into the camera on the red carpet, promoting Journey 3-D, while they were interviewing SJP about Sex and the City? I mean, dude, I know this show is all about promoting your movies, but calm the F down -- even SJP looked a tad freaked out.)
But anyway, my favorite bit of the night was a tie between watching a Wayne's World reunion and the Tropic Thunder viral spoof by Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black. Surprisingly, it wasn't even any of the three who stole the show; it was, instead, the kid playing Stiller's nephew. Hilarious. Watch the Wayne's World routine above, then head after the jump for the full Tropic Thunder video, Megan Fox looking extremely hot and freaked out by a naked Rainn Wilson and the footage you DIDN'T see of Seth Rogen and James Franco smoking a "pretend" joint on stage. I'd like to think the bit would've been funnier if the cameras were actually allowed within 700 feet of the stage and they didn't cutaway to several different actors who weren't laughing ... at all. In fact, Downey Jr. looked kind of insulted. Not the best anti-drug advertisement I've ever seen, but what the hey ...
Why We Can't Wait to See It: It's a fresh, yet classic stoner story written by Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow, and Evan Goldberg. The trailer looks funnier than hell, there's 227 references, and Huey frickin' Lewis wrote the theme song. Also, Rogen gets to not only fly through the air, but also carry James Franco out of a burning building all action hero-style.
Why It Might Do Well: Between The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad, Seth Rogen has been comedy gold lately. At the very least, the movie will get the loyal Judd Apatow contingent, along with those curious to see what David Gordon Green can do with comedy.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Aliens land on earth and the world ends. Realistically, it should do quite well, but it won't get as many young girls and action-hungry mens seeing it -- both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and Hell Ride open on the same day.
Fun Fact: The chorus of Huey Lewis' theme song for the film: "We got in trouble, we got to get out of here. I've got you, you've got me. We are as high as we can be. That's all right. How did we get into this mess? Pineapple Express!"
While I'm not willing to go into too many details about my personal habits, I will say that I do have an affinity for the so-called 'stoner movie' (well, at least the ones that try to portray smokers with just a modicum of reality). So with that in mind, you can guess why I am looking forward to the release of Pineapple Express -- the first poster of which has just hit the interwebs (check out the full size in the gallery below).
Seth Rogen stars as Dale Denton, a perpetually baked process server with a close relationship to his dealer, Saul (as played by James Franco). When Dale accidentally witnesses a murder, he and Saul are forced on the run from bad guys while suffering from the mother of all paranoid freak outs. Rosie Perez also stars as a crooked cop, and Gary Cole (aka Bill Lumbergh) as a drug lord.
Finally, after all of the waiting, Moviefone has the trailer for The Pineapple Express, which you can watch above (or over there in glorious HD)! And man, it's been worth the anxious wait, even if there's no Huey Lewis to be heard. Under the directorial eye of David Gordon Green, Seth Rogen and James Franco are two pot smoking friends who get in over their heads when Rogen witnesses a cop murder someone. Of course, the only thing to do is go straight to the pot-dealing Franco.
Rogen is, well, Rogen, although he's got one heck of a flying through the air moment that was just completely brilliant, and has me waiting for Seth to take on a buddy cop movie. Franco, meanwhile, is just excellent. Really -- after pushing the boundaries of annoyance with Spidey, he's just stoner greatness. And, it's nice to see Rosie Perez getting down with her bad self.
Watch out for the barracudas!
(Fun Fact: A little birdie out at SXSW told us that, originally, Rogen was supposed to play the stoner and Franco the straight guy. However, Judd Apatow wanted to take a risk and flipped the roles before filming began.)
Slashfilm now has the first on-set photos from Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic, Milk. As we all know, Bryan Singer's competing Milk film, The Mayor of Castor Street, has been parked in development hell. Now it looks like Van Sant's film will be the first Hollywood life-story of the legendary mayor of San Francisco, so get ready for a little stroll down memory lane since most of these photos are of the local spots in the area being given a 1970's makeover.
For those of you not familiar with Milk's legacy, he was, "an American politician and gay rights activist, was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco, California, and therefore, according to Time magazine, 'the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet.'" The perpetually dour Sean Penn will play Milk, and most gossip had Matt Damon in the role of Milk's murderer and co-worker, Dan White. Now it's looking like Josh Brolin will step in. Other cast members include Emile Hirsch, James Franco, and Diego Luna
While most of the focus had been on whether Penn could pull off the congenial and upbeat Milk, I have to admit I'm a little nervous on the directing end of things as well. As much as I respect Van Sant, I wonder whether he is willing to make a more 'conventional' biopic. It might be the only way to introduce as many people as possible to this invaluable figure in gay rights, rather than alienating them with something a little more along the lines of Last Days. Milk is set to open in theaters later this year.
Suffering from the Hollywood blockbuster blues? Have I got some indies for you! All three are newly available this week on DVD.
Cross-overs, an old television standard, have been slowly making their way through the world of cinema. But forget the geek crossovers that popped up this summer because there might be a more comedic twist on the way. While talking with 
Despite a lack of any real range, Mark Ruffalo is one of my favorite actors -- it's just so easy to identify with the affable schlub character he's made his forte. He's always seemed like a smart guy -- he's made smart choices -- so I'm looking forward to his 
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While I'm not willing to go into too many details about my personal habits, I will say that I do have an affinity for the so-called 'stoner movie' (well, at least the ones that try to portray smokers with just a modicum of reality). So with that in mind, you can guess why I am looking forward to the release of 
Slashfilm now has the 
