I’d love to see a graphic representation of the intersection of two subsets: moviegoers who saw The Avengers , directed by Joss Whedon , and those who plan to see his interpretation of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing . I wouldn’t be surprised if there was no intersection at all, just one big circle ( The Avengers ) and one little circle ( Much Ado ) sitting next to each other, but I give Whedon credit for taking time out of his blockbuster career — 12 days, to be exact — to make this labor of love and present the Bard in a contemporary setting. And yet, based on a handful of viewings of this trailer, Much Ado looks self-conscious and pretentious. Shot in black-and-white and — at least on this trailer — adorned with a jazzy soundtrack, the movie looks like Whedon’s interpretation of a Woody Allen film, and a lot of the actors do their scenes with a look in their eyes that says, I’m doin’ Shakespeare, bitches! The cast includes The Cabin In The Woods star Amy Acker as Beatrice, Alexis Denisof as Benedick, late S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson, Clark Gregg , playing Leonato, Nathan Fillion , of Serenity , in the role of Dogberry, and Sean Maher as Don John. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
If James Franco reads his reviews, he should avoid David Edelstein ‘s critique of Oz The Great and Powerful at Vulture.com . “Franco is unconvincing generally, tamping down the passion, ironicizing everything out,” wrote Edelstein. “It’s possible Franco’s modern-sounding stammers and shrugs opposite actors playing it straight are meant in the spirit of Bob Hope’s hipster cowards — or those of Woody Allen , who cited Hope among his inspirations for Sleeper and Love and Death . But Franco doesn’t have the comebacks. He’s playing a noncommittal character in a noncommittal way, so that you want to scream, “This isn’t a performance-art project! You’re carrying a movie!” Ouch, though I’m with Edelstein on this one. It’s weird to see Franco giving such a modern performance in a movie that functions as a prequel to the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz , and is supposed to be taking place in the early 1900s. I guess that tornado didn’t just transport Franco from Kansas to Oz, it messed with the time-space continuum, too. Well, while we wait to see if the weekend box-office results will vindicate Franco’s performance, I’ve noticed something about Franco that is fully committed: his smile. Watching him promoting Oz over the last few weeks and the films he brought to Sundance in January, Kink , which he produced, and Interior. Leather Bar , which he co-directed, I’ve discovered that Franco does for beaming what Futurama’ s Hypnotoad does for staring. He’s all in — teeth, gums and crinkled eyes — and the effect kind of mesmerizing in a man-he’s-really-going-for-it way. Check out these photos: So, bad reviews be damned. Keep smiling James….I…await…your final…orders. [ Vulture ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Todd Phillips likes his exotic animals. The Hangover had a tiger, the sequel featured a monkey, and, this teaser trailer for The Hangover Part III includes cameos by a giraffe (that appears to meet an untimely end) and some sort of bird of prey. There’s also a beefy dude in a pig mask chasing Zach Galifianakis . Does that count? If you prefer your comedy to be delivered by humans, check out the sexual tension scene involving Galifianakis, Melissa McCarthy and a lollipop— and Ed Helms throwing up in his mouth. There’s not enough Ken Jeong in this clip as far as I’m concerned, but it’s good to have the Wolf Pack back. The Hangover Part III opens on May 24. More on The Hangover Part III: Engorgio! Zach Galifianakis Appears As Portly Harry Potter In ‘The Hangover Part III’ Poster Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Last year, independent film gave us Elizabeth Olsen, and this year it appears the spotlight is set to shine on her Martha Marcy May Marlene co-star Julia Garner. But whether she’s doing an indie film like Electrick Children or Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s upcoming Sin City 2 , Garner says “it’s all about finding a good story”. What’s the story behind Electrick Children ? Kickstarter! When writer/director Rebecca Thomas and producer Jessica Caldwell, then film students at Columbia, wanted to fund her feature film about a Mormon teenager’s voyage of discovery they turned to the popular website – and literally struck gold. More Mormons? Yes it looks like pop culture isn’t done with the religious group yet, Thomas told me she “wanted to adapt the Virgin Mary story from the Bible, and thought if there was ever a girl who thought she had immaculate conception it would probably be from one of these really closed-off fundamentalist communities.” Check out my full interview at The Cinema Society and Make Up For Ever’s NYC screening below: Follow Grace Randolph on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Long before Pope Benedict XVI stepped down as the head of the sexual scandal-scarred Catholic Church, the 18th-Century novelist and dramatist Matthew G. Lewis’ was inspired to write The Monk , a gothic supernatural novel about a man of the cloth who is tempted and corrupted by (cue ominous music)…Satan! More than two centuries later, filmmaker Dominik Moll ( Lemming , With A Friend Like Harry ) has brought the cult classic to the screen starring Vincent Cassel as Brother Ambrosio, the titular Capuchin monk who is led way astray. Here’s the synopsis: Abandoned at birth at the gates of a Capuchin monastery in Madrid, Brother Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel), raised by the friars, grows up into a preacher admired far and wide for his fervor. Ambrosio is feared for his righteousness and believes he is immune from temptation – until the arrival of a mysterious apprentice undermines his convictions and leads him down a dangerous path of sin, corruption and murder. First up, is the film’s Red Band trailer which has a bit of a vampire vibe initially — the actress is Deborah Francois — and then gets all sexy and stuff. One corrupted, Ambrosio sets his wolfish eyes on the virtuous Antonia (Joséphine Japy), who, in this clip, does not seem to be interested in finding out what’s beneath the monk’s itchy cassock. Click here to view the embedded video. Why do I think this ends badly for Antonia? The Monk opens Friday, March 8 in select theaters and on VOD. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
It’s quite a day for outlandish costume design. First Lionsgate releases a bunch of posters featuring cast members from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire dressed in some memorable outfits, and now, well, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez has trumped them with a single image. The El Mariachi director gave EW.com an exclusive character poster from his upcoming Machete Kills movie that depicts Modern Family star Sofia Vergara wearing one helluva lethal bra. Vergara plays Lady Desdemona in this sequel to Rodriguez’s blood-soaked 2010 picture Machete . According to EW , the follow-up, which hits theaters in September “revisits the title character, Machete Cortez, ( Danny Trejo ) a dangerous, hard-luck anti-hero. This time the U.S. government (led by Charlie Sheen in the Oval Office) recruits Machete to battle his way through his native Mexico to topple an arms dealer who wants to rain destruction on the U.S. with a orbital weapon.” It’s worth noting that the cast includes Lady Gaga , who appeared on a recent cover of Rolling Stone in a similar Fem-bot-style bra. Wonder who got the idea from whom? [ EW.com ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Where was Jimmy Kimmel before the Oscars? Kathryn Bigelow could have used him. On Wednesday night, the late-night talk-show host gave a comic lesson in marketing when he showed this trailer for the DVD release of Zero Dark Thirty that re-positions the movie as a romantic comedy instead of a pro-torture CIA procedural. All it takes is a little voiceover magic and some creative editing to depict Jessica Chastain as a workaholic in search of “the man of her dreams.” Pretty, pretty funny, as is the movie’s new title, Zero Dark Flirty , and tagline: “Sometimes it’s good to be a little bit Abbottabad.” For those who limited their consumption of Oscar-nominated based-on-a-real-story CIA thrillers to Argo , that’s the name of the town in Pakistan where Osama bin Laden’s compound was located. Speaking of Kimmel, he should be the next host of the Oscars. Hollywood loves him, and he’s got the perfect tone for the evening. In fact, Seth MacFarlane left me with the impression that he was trying to be Kimmel on Sunday night. What do you think? Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Get out your micrometers. The Amazing Spider-Man sequel doesn’t hit theaters until May2, 2014, but ComingSoon.net has an exclusive peek at the new costume that Andrew Garfield will wear, and, well, unless you’re a Spider-man geek (like me), it doesn’t look all that much different than the old one. I’ve included an “After” and “Before” comparison, but the key changes are two: The webslinger’s face mask has bigger eyes and the leg-span on his spider chest logo isn’t so wide — a look that resembles comic artist Mark Bagley’s take on the webslinger during his record-breaking run on Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man title in the early 2000s. Yeah, I know: not exactly a daring overhaul. THE NEW COSTUME THE PREVIOUS COS What does the new look say about the Spidey brand? This is definitely wishful thinking on my part, but I choose to interpret it to mean that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be more of a visual feast and the “Ultimate” Spider-Man movie. Certainly, a storyline that reportedly will include Electro ( Jamie Foxx ), the Green Goblin (the most excellent Dane DeHaan ) and the Rhino ( Paul Giamatti ) is promising, but it could also end up being as overstuffed as a Subway BMT sandwich. And that puts me in mind of Sam Raimi’s excruciatingly corny Spider-Man 3 . At least that movie had a black costume. Speaking of that last villain, I can’t wait until the first shot of Giamatti as the Horned Hot Mess is leaked. Foxx, not so much. I fear he’ll just end up looking like Static Shock, though I guess I’d prefer that to him wearing a giant cut-out lightning-star on his head. As Count Floyd would say, “Verrry scary, kids!” Here’s the official synopsis: In “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy — between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough. Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away — but that’s a promise he just can’t keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past. [ ComingSoon.net ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
“ Argo to win it all.” This has been the Oscar pundit thesis statement ever since Ben Affleck was left off the Best Director list and promptly blew over the Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Awards in a whirlwind weekend of Oscar analysis. Every award Argo has gathered since that weekend last month has added to the confirmation bias. Affleck and his film established themselves as the storyline of the 2012 Academy Awards. But what about the several months leading up to the nominations? Remember when Les Miserables jumped ahead with a rapturous New York premiere? Remember when The Master exploded into the race with a series of secret screenings set up by Paul Thomas Anderson himself? Remember when Lincoln was predestined to win Best Picture, because War Horse lost last year? The storyline of 2012 isn’t Argo ; it’s confusion. And in keeping with that storyline, Movieline presents the “What The What?!” Oscars, a list of out-there-but-plausible winners in the hopes for a less predictable and more exciting show. All of my picks below go against the Argo storyline, as if it wasn’t coming at all. Just like in the film, Argo was a red herring all along. If all goes according to confusion, here’s what could happen: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS “What The What?!” pick: Jacki Weaver , Silver Linings Playbook Based on previous ceremonies, this is potentially the first award of the night, and what better way to start off the night than ruining everyone’s ballots? An Anne Hathaway win has been too obvious, and when something is too obvious, voters tend to look for a way out. The same rule has been slowly killing Lincoln all season, which doesn’t play into Sally Field’s favor. The next choice would be Amy Adams in The Master , but here’s where we’ve got the Weinstein factor: somewhere in the season, Harvey looked at his prospects and picked the easy Silver Linings Playbook over the bold Master . Jacki Weaver’s nomination was baffling to begin with, and that same campaign leads to a win. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR “What The What?!” pick: Philip Seymour Hoffman , The Master This category has been swirling around the dependably exceptional Hoffman all season. Christoph Waltz is picking up some late backlash with people commenting that what he does in Django is identical to what he won for in Inglourious Basterds . Tommy Lee Jones didn’t win a lot of support with a grouchy turn at the Golden Globes, not enough Academy voters bought Robert De Niro’s Katie Couric cry-fest, and Alan Arkin’s performance is not all that different from his turn in Little Miss Sunshine . Hoffman’s steadiness wins the day. BEST ACTRESS “What The What?!” pick: Naomi Watts , The Impossible Just like Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain, Watts is on her second Academy Award nomination. Lawrence has a natural cockiness that charms the Internet crowd, but fmakes her a difficult Oscar campaigner. Chastain was similar to Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker , delivering a revelatory, powerhouse performance that’s overshadowed by the film itself (I’m curious if Bigelow will ever direct someone to an Oscar). The storyline behind Emmanuelle Riva is that she’ll turn 86 on Oscar Sunday, but old and accomplished does not guarantee anyone an Oscar. (Six years ago, they overlooked freaking Peter O’Toole, so there’s the love shown for the emeritus crowd.). Watts is someone current, who the voters seem to love, and wins based on a familiar role in a tear-jerker film. BEST ACTOR “What The What?!” pick: Joaquin Phoenix , The Master A hypothetic discussion between prognosticators: “But Daniel Day-Lewis had it in the bag!” “If Jamie Foxx can win for Ray and Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote , then DDL only makes sense!” “The Oscars love imitations.” “But it was just an imitation.” “No one really knows what Lincoln moved or sounded like.” “They didn’t want a history lesson.” “Phoenix also moved and spoke in a distinct style. Painfully.” “It looked like it hurt, moving all hunched over. He looked like he starved himself.” “The Oscars love pretty people breaking themselves down.” “This must be like Charlize Theron winning for Monster .” “But Phoenix trashed the Oscars.” “No more so than anyone else has in the past. And he hopped back on the trail at Harvey’s encouragement.” “Phoenix must’ve been destined for this. If Harvey has his back.” “I knew it was Phoenix all along!” “I said it first!” BEST DIRECTOR “What The What?!” pick: Michael Haneke , Amour Amour ’s glut of nominations showed there was serious affection for Haneke’s Palme d’Or winner, and it was clearly through the labor of Haneke himself. The Academy has a track record of not awarding prestige directors like Haneke or Malick or Hitchcock or Kubrick, but this is the year for weirdness. The most surprising choice would be Tarantino, but his Django stumping has sparked uncomfortable conversations, which leads to thought-provoking essays but not Oscars. (Plus, in this “What The What?” ceremony, he wins another Original Screenplay award). Spielberg, despite all the industry love, will be the poster child for Lincoln ’s struggles as the obvious choice. A Haneke win is the result of voters not knowing who to fall behind, so why not go with the smart Austrian? BEST PICTURE “What The What?!” pick: Zero Dark Thirty When the prognosticators decided Argo was in, everything else was out. ZDT riled up too much controversy and was done, because they had Argo, which was Diet ZDT . Well guess what: Out of left field comes ZDT for the win. It’s an amalgam of other nominees: it’s got the historical gravitas of Lincoln without the drag; it’s got the the true life thriller ending of Argo without the embellishment; it’s got the fire of Django Unchained without the mess; it stars a face of Young Hollywood who isn’t the too-cocky but too-familiar Jennifer Lawrence. It’s a massive critic success and has been victorious at the box office. A Zero Dark Thirty win would confuse everyone down to Kathryn Bigelow herself, but this has been a season of confusion, not surprises. Plenty of other things could happen to destroy Oscar ballots. Searching for Sugarman could lose Best Documentary; ParaNorman could win Best Animated Feature; Amour could lose Best Foreign Film if Haneke wins Best Director, like the latter is a consolation prize. Even if Argo wins the final prize on Sunday, it will still prove to be a bizarre year. Affleck was not nominated for Best Director, but somehow, an also-ran director became the discussion. The 2012 Oscar race has been strange, and here’s hoping Sunday is strange, too. John Hendel is a playwright from Los Angeles. Follow John Hendel on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
The weeks of punditry and teary talk-show performances are over! Seth MacFarlane is about to take the stage and Movieline is about to liveblog the Oscars. Grab your favorite cocktail, enable your hand-held device and join me for Hollywood’s most holy night. Let the pageantry and snarky comments begin!
