Godzilla looks to rule the weekend at the multiplex, but you can head over to the art house and catch some fantastic flesh starting today! Director James Gray ( We Own the Night , Two Lovers ) teams up once again with actor Joaquin Phoenix for the film The Immigrant . The film stars Mr. Skin Hall of Famer Marion Cotillard, though she sadly keeps covered up through the entire film! Thankfully there’s a quartet of sensationally sexy sirens that all doff their duds! Dagmara Dominczyk & Maja Wampuszyc both bare their breasts while dancing on stage at the 25 minute mark! During that same scene, we also get a brief look at Jicky Schnee ‘s shimmies as she stands behind Joaquin! Susan Gardner , who is also making her nude debut in the film, unleashes her sizable snoobs at least twice during the film as well! The Immigrant will have your huddled massive yanker yearning to breathe free! Finally hitting the States this weekend is the French comedy Chinese Puzzle ! The film is the third in a series of films from director Cedric Klapisch, following the 2002’s L’Auberge Espagnole and 2005’s Russian Dolls . While French fox Audrey Tautou is reprising her role of Martine from the earlier films, she stays fully clothed the entire time, but you won’t even mind one bit when you get a load of the luscious lesbian scene between Flore Bonaventura and Cecile De France ! Their tryst gets interrupted and the two ladies run to the roof, showing off all three b’s in the process! This Chinese Puzzle will tie you up in knots!
How lonely do you have to be to fall in love with your computer ?? In the new Warner Brothers Film “Her,” Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) does just that. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johannson) which promises to be an intuitive and unique entity in its own right. From the singular perspective of Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze, “Her” is an original love story that explores the evolving nature — and the risks — of intimacy in the modern world. The way technology and online love are going, people often fall for partners they never even meet in person…so is it really that farfetched to imagine a man falling in love with Siri? Peep the trailer: “Her” is currently playing in select theaters and opens nationwide on January 10. Will you be watching?
Here’s a novel way to keep from getting worked up about your main Oscar rival: forget his name entirely. For Time magazine’s Great Performances video feature on this year’s Oscar nominees, Les Miserables co-stars and Oscar nominees Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman spend some time lauding their competition. Hathaway even praises the computer-generated tiger in Life of Pi . But watch what happens around the 2:09 when Jackman slyly raises the topic of Lincoln . If you need any further proof that Wolverine a) can act and b) possesses a wit that’s as well-developed as his pecs, keep a close eye on his poker face as he claims not to remember the name of Daniel Day-Lewis , who, according to conventional wisdom, will emerge the victor when the Best Actor Oscar is handed out on Feb. 24. ” Lincoln is the movie, but the lead guy who I always forget…,” Jackman says to Hathaway without any hint that he’s having a bit of fun. In fact, it’s Hathaway who can’t keep a straight face as she jogs Jackman’s memory and he refers to Day-Lewis as simply “Lewis” — in case, I guess, any Academy voters will be deciding how to cast their Best Actor vote after watching this video. Jackman does admit that the actor whose name he can’t seem to remember is “awesome” in Lincoln though, and he also waxes enthusiastic about Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in The Master. You can also access video interviews with Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, Sally Field, John Goodman, John Hawkes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Quvenzhané Wallis, Christoph Waltz and Naomi Watts at the Great Performances link above. In the meantime, here’s a compilation clip. Oh yeah, and take a close look at the photo of Hathaway resting on Jackman’s buff torso with her thumb in her mouth. Saucy. Featured Photo Photo by Paola Kudacki for Time [ Time] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
With the deadline for Academy Award nominations just two days away, perhaps it’s not the best time for Jennifer Lawrence to be talking about how acting is “stupid.” But that’s what she does in the new issue of Vanity Fair . The actress, whose performance in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook should put her in the running for a Best Actress Oscar, is the cover girl for the magazine’s February issue in which she’s named “The Most Desirable Woman of 2013.” But her perspective on acting may not sound so desirable to actors casting their votes for the first stage of the Oscar sweepstakes. “Not to sound rude, but [acting] is stupid,” Lawrence says. “Everybody’s like, ‘How can you remain with a level head?’ And I’m like, ‘Why would I ever get cocky? I’m not saving anybody’s life. There are doctors who save lives and firemen who run into burning buildings. I’m making movies. It’s stupid.’” Okay, so Lawrence hasn’t pulled a Joaquin Phoenix and declared the awards race “the stupidest thing in the whole world.” The context of her comment is unclear because Vanity Fair has yet to release the full story in which this quote appears, but Lawrence sounds like she’s merely being self-deprecating in a safely provocative way. And yet, as much as I admire candor, if I was part of Lawrence’s management team, I’d be telling her to can the “acting-is-stupid” comments until after awards season. I have to imagine that there are a fair number of self-important Academy voters/actors who don’t want to hear their profession belittled, especially since they’re not getting the kind of sought-after roles that Lawrence keeps getting. [ Vanity Fair] RELATED: Oscars E-Voting Too Hard For Tech-Illiterate Academy Members, Also Get Off My Lawn Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
You can have your Top 10 lists stuffed with cold and corny prestige pics and all those “respectable” “films” headed for Oscar gold, but when I think back on 2012 I remember the movies that wrapped themselves around my heart and brain like a warm blanket made of light and sound and kick-ass jammin’ electric guitars and made me feel excited to be alive, dammit ! (I can also pinpoint with a wistful pang the precise moment when Tyler Perry broke my heart. Still love you, TP.) These are the films, big and small, ambitious and soulful, heart-rending and bone-crunching, about lovers, fighters, time-travelers, masters, closet-dwellers, hermaphrodite basketball players and friends (forever) that made my year at the movies. Join me in celebrating these magical movie moments and let’s hope 2013 delivers even more awesomeness. 10. Moonrise Kingdom Look, I’m not a robot. Wes Anderson ’s nostalgic dip into childhood love pitched its twee kid romance tent in my heart and has stayed there all through the summer, fall, and winter. “What kind of bird are YOU?” 9. Looper That perfect song at the end of Rian Johnson ’s contemplative pic about selflessness and love disguised as a sci-fi time travel movie kills me every time. Also (SEMI SPOILER) the Rainmaker shot of Garret Dillahunt at the end is one of the most perversely beautiful images I’ve seen all year. 8. The Final Member at Fantastic Fest Three men share a penis obsession that anchors this deftly executed, wry and surprisingly poignant documentary — but the delicate, deep-fried veal testicle served up mid-movie by the demented folks at Fantastic Fest made for a truly inspired moviegoing experience. (It tasted… squishy.) Next time I’ll probably pass on the snacks. 7. Pitch Perfect A movie pretty much made for me . Bonus points for bringing Blackstreet back. Side note: I once totally attempted a riff-off in real life, and that shit is hard . 6. The Raid Another movie pretty much made for me . Neck-on-doorway = action kill of the year. 5. The Master Joaquin Phoenix ’s feral turn as the scary, mesmerizing alternate-universe Ed Grimley fever dream demon of a man exploded for me the moment he raged against that prison cell toilet and I realized I was watching something rare, so elementally beyond performance, that I actually felt bad. For the toilet. 4. Holy Motors Speaking of performance: Nothing this year blew my mind as wholly as Leos Carax’s wonderfully whimsical film about film, art, and the incredible range of emotion within Denis Lavant’s play-doh landscape of a face. Not even… 3. Miami Connection To know the magical alchemy of tae kwon do, friendship, biker ninjas, and ‘80s rock ‘n’ roll that is Miami Connection is to love it. After my third viewing, Grand Master Y. K. Kim told me my spirit animal was a tiger. Take that, stupid cocaine! 2. Trapped in the Closet Forever 2012 was the year that R. Kelly answered everyone’s prayers and promised that Trapped in the Closet will never, ever, ever end . Since I had the honor of watching Chapters 1-22 (i.e. the first saga i.e. the best of the urban hip-hopera dramarama) screened theatrically, and since it was one of the most transcendent evenings I’ve spent listening to Kells in the dark with a bunch of strangers in my entire life, and since screw you guys this is my list, it makes my Top 10. I mean, Chuck was there for goodness sake, and even if he didn’t explain what The Package is he spent the night belting out all of his lines from the aisles. That is, when he wasn’t dancing and singing along with the rest of us. What I’m trying to say is, Trapped in the Closet is magic. It’s R. Kelly’s Cloud Atlas AND his The Klumps all at once. 1. Boys Will Be Boys How do I do justice to this Kickstarter project in words? I can’t. Suffice to say the short film about “about a Bisexual Down Low NCAA Basketball Player, who impregnates his secret Gay Friend, a Rare Reproducing Hermaphrodite” has an actually ballsy if f***ing bizarre premise and is the single best internet movie discovery of the year that nobody discovered, and in failing to Kickstart it we’ve only failed ourselves. Eternal thanks to @JimJarmuschHair and @Nickrob for championing the best video of 2012. Consider it a gift to Homo Sapiens . Wind down 2012 with more Top 10 lists and leave your favorite films of the year in the comments below! Amy Nicholson’s / Top 10 of 2012 / Written In Haiku The Masters: Movieline Critic Alison Willmore’s Top 10 Films of 2012 They Turn Us On, Dammit! Movieline Critic Alison Willmore’s Top 10 Overlooked Gems of 2012 Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
You’re a procrastinator. You waited until the last moment to figure out your Halloween costume, and now you need ideas, fast — preferably ones that will impress your fellow movie nerds. Fear not! Here are 9 easy-ish cinephile-ready costumes inspired by some of this year’s most memorable films… CLOUD ATLAS What do six interconnected characters in six time periods spanning from the 19th century Pacific to the future where Tom Hanks speaks the true-true have in common, despite wildly divergent costumes and fake noses and whatnot? THAT BIRTHMARK. Draw on your own Cloud Atlas comet mark of the Chosen One anywhere – your shoulder, the back of your head, your left butt cheek — and you’re set. The best part: You can literally look like anyone and it still works. Just whatever you do, do not attempt futuristic Asianface . PITCH PERFECT Here’s a group costume for you and 5-6 of your multi-culti friends: Dress campus casual and walk around in a pack all night singing pop songs a cappella and challenging random strangers to riff-offs while shouting Pitch Perfect -isms like “Aca-awesome!” SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS To channel Colin Farrell or any of his eccentric cast mates in Martin McDonagh ‘s madcap crime comedy, all you really need is one key accessory: A Shih Tzu. Carry the pooch around all night and you’re set. Bonus if you do it in a Christopher Walken accent . If you happen to resemble Tom Waits , a white bunny is a lot less costly to procure. THE MASTER Joaquin Phoenix ‘s hunched, feral Freddie Quell can be achieved with just the right attire, posture, and off-kilter touch of insanity. Start with a button-down shirt tucked into pants pulled up to an Ed Grimley-level and slouch your shoulders forward. Carry a few makeshift beakers and jars with you and wherever you go, mix a batch of your special potions from assorted household liquids while pacing and licking windows. And voila ! SKYFALL If you’re a dapper dan who happens to have a Tom Ford fitted suit pressed and hanging in the closet, Halloween’s a cinch: Dress to the nines, grab a Heineken, and spend the evening fixing your cufflink like a boss . PROMETHEUS Don’t have a futuristic space suit lying around the house? No worries, ladies. Strip down to a white bandeau bra and panties, spatter yourself with black creature goop and run around screaming as if there’s a giant space monster right behind you. Lug around a decapitated mannequin head for extra emphasis. You might be cold, but you’ll be the baddest lady in the universe. MAGIC MIKE Fellas can get in on the scantily-clad action too, although the women of the world may prefer it if you have Channing Tatum’s abs and sense of rhythm. Maybe a speedo-vest-cowboy hat combination, a la Matthew McConaughey? Or a g-string, for those who dare? Bring along a boombox and have Ginuwine’s “Pony” queued up. You might even make some cash in the process. THE COMEDY Don your trust-fund hipster polo and boat shoes and walk around making a joke of everything a la Tim Heidecker (of Tim and Eric fame) in the new pic The Comedy ; singing the infectious mantra “No no tip” will really tie the outfit together, although anyone who hasn’t yet seen the movie will just think you’re a giant douche. THE GREY Fish a dirty long-sleeved thermal out of the laundry, smear a few smudges of fake blood on your face, and tape broken minibar bottles to your fists and you’re prepped for action, Liam Neeson-style . Plus: You get to drink the contents of those minibar bottles first, and you’ll be ready for any wolves that may cross your path. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Also in a Monday afternoon round-up of news briefs, doc filmmaker Werner Herzog eyes a fiction project for his next directorial; Robert Zemeckis set for a Chicago Film Festival award; The Austin Film Festival names its winners and the Toronto International Film Festival sets its 2013 dates. Hugh Grant Joins Romantic Comedy Grant will star in the untitled romantic comedy that begins shooting in New York next April. The story revolves around a witty Englishman who wins an Oscar for Best Screenplay. Years later he is washed up and broke. He takes a job teaching screenwriting at an East Coast school. He’s not thrilled by the idea of teaching, but thinks he could make the moves on young co-eds. But then he finds romance with a single mom. This will be the fourth collaboration with writer/director Marc Lawrence. Toronto International Film Festival Sets 2013 Dates The 2012 event boasted 147 world premieres with over 300 attending filmmakers, according to TIFF. The festival said its 38th edition will take place September 5 – 15. Sparrows Dance and Informant Top Austin Film Festival Winners Noah Buschel’s Sparrows Dance and Jamie Meltzer’s Informant took the Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature prize at the 2012 Austin Film Festival. Narrative short went to Bryan Buckley’s Asad , while See The Dirt by Chelsea Hernandez and Erik Mauck took the doc short award. Around the ‘net… Stephen Colbert to Appear in Hobbit Trilogy The Colbert Report host will have his big screen acting debut with a small role in an upcoming Hobbit pic. Details about his role are not known, but he will not appear in the first of the films, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . Fans will have to wait for the next installment in 2013 or the finale in 2014 to view him on the big screen, Access Hollywood reports . Wener Herzog to Bring Return to Fiction for Vernon God The Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker will return to fiction for an adaptation of DBC Pierre’s 2003 novel, Vernon God Little His last fiction feature was the eccentric My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done in 2009, and he has concentrated on documentaries in recent years, with Cave of Forgotten Dreams , about the Ardèche cave paintings, and Into the Abyss , a study of Texas’s death row, The Guardian reports . Robert Zemeckis Wins Chicago Film Festival Award Robert Zemeckis will be honored with the Founder’s Award at the 48th Chicago International Film Festival on Thursday. His latest film, Flight is his first return to live-action in 12 years. Starring Denzel Washington, the story revolves around an airline pilot who brilliantly lands a crashing plane, but his heroism masks dark secrets, THR reports .
James Franco as Freddie Quell? It almost happened, the actor revealed during a panel at the Austin Film Festival, until The Master director Paul Thomas Anderson asked Franco one little question: “Do you feel like you can do this?” Franco’s confidence, he says, is what did him in as he and Anderson chatted about The Master ‘s troubled, potion-drinking veteran before Joaquin Phoenix came into the picture. “Paul Thomas Anderson was getting ready to make The Master and he called me and we met,” Franco said (as reported by EW ). “And we talked and we ended up meeting for coffee. We didn’t talk about The Master but I met him to chat. And then he kept calling me and he wanted to talk and talk but I didn’t know what he wanted to talk about because we’d always just kind of bulls— on the phone.” He continued: “So then when he started talking about the role he said, ‘Do you feel like you can do this?’ And I said ‘Yeah, totally. Look, I think you’re like the best American director. I feel confident. I know I can do this.’ And he said to me, ‘But I want this to scare you. I want this role, going on this journey to scare you.’ And I was like ‘Scare?! I know I can do it.” “And so, incredible movie, needless to say I didn’t get the part. I guess I wasn’t scared enough or something, or whatever reason I didn’t get it. And then when I saw Joaquin in that movie I realized ‘Oh, he wanted me to like lose my mind.'” Yes, James Franco! PTA wanted you to completely lose your shit , lick windows, and freak out inside of a prison cell like a caged animal in the name of art. It’s hard to envision anyone other than the feral, Ed Grimley-esque Phoenix as Freddie Quell but I imagine Franco’s version would’ve been a lot more smiley, and a lot less scary. That said: I would in a heartbeat watch two filmed hours of PTA and James Franco calling each other for phone dates. Concluding his Master story, Franco added a zinger at the Oscars, to which he famously contributed one of the more bizarre hosting performances in awards history. “The Oscars was challenging because the material they gave me was CRAP!” Guess Franco and Phoenix have one more thing in common . [via EW ] Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Joaquin Phoenix has a collection of awards nominations and wins that many actors would look upon with envy, but he is calling, “bullshit.” The actor won applause at the Toronto International Film Festival for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson ‘s The Master and he even picked up a Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival last month (shared with Philip Seymour Hoffman ). But the actor said he thinks the whole process is the “stupidest thing in the whole world.” Speaking with Interview magazine in their latest issue about a wide-range of topics, the two-time Oscar nominee blasted the awards race, saying he’d like to stay clear of the machine, even as the current season – and industry – of awards goes into full throttle. “I’m just saying that I think it’s bullshit. I think it’s total, utter bullshit, and I don’t want to be a part of it. I don’t believe in it. It’s a carrot, but it’s the worst-tasting carrot I’ve ever tasted in my whole life. I don’t want this carrot. It’s totally subjective. Pitting people against each other . . . It’s the stupidest thing in the whole world.” Phoenix received Oscar noms for Walk the Line (2005) and Gladiator (2000) and has been all but anointed with another one this year for The Master . He’s also received many festival nods throughout his lengthy acting stint and even a Golden Globe for Best Performance for an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Walk the Line in which he played musician Johnny Cash. “It was one of the most uncomfortable periods of my life when Walk the Line was going through all the awards stuff and all that. I never want to have that experience again. I don’t know how to explain it – and it’s not like I’m in this place where I think I’m just above it -but I just don’t ever want to get comfortable with that part of things.” [ Sources: Interview via Huffington Post ]
