[1] One of the biggest crowd-pleasers out of this year’s festival circuit was Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey, which premiered at Sundance back in January. By all accounts, the film is irresistibly charming, a treat to watch; our own Peter Sciretta considers it one of his top films of 2011. Constance Nash’s documentary chronicles the story of Kevin Clash, the man who makes Elmo Elmo, from his days… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : /Film Discovery Date : 24/09/2011 00:00 Number of articles : 2
The days of associating Kim Wayans with over the top sketch comedy characters are soon to be long gone. In the upcoming film “Pariah” Wayans plays the religiously devout mother of a teenage girl struggling with her sexuality. The film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival is directed Dee Rees and executive produced by Spike Lee. “Pariah” tells the story of Alike (played by Adepero Oduye), a 17-year-old high school student who is discovering her identity as a lesbian. As Alike becomes more comfortable with sexuality, her mother becomes increasingly distraught. The relationship is further complicated by tension in her parents marriage. Though at times the film can be a bit heavy-handed, it feels surprisingly authentic. The world of teenage angst in the Brooklyn high-school is offset by the innocence and genuine confusion of the adolescent characters. The dialogue can be jarring, but feels as truthful as overhearing the conversation of students on the subway headed home after school. Amazing performances by the cast are complimented by beautiful cinematography from Bradford Young . “Pariah” is strong in story and addresses the often too hushed reality of homosexuality in Black families. We spoke with Kim Wayans to find out how she hopes the movie will influence audiences to address homosexuality in the Black community. Watch her interview below: “Pariah” opens in select theaters on December 25th. Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks Confirmed For “Sparkle” Remake Tyler Perry Tops “Forbes” List Of Highest-Paid Men In Entertainment
Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin daughter, was enjoying her time at West Hollywood’s Saddle Ranch restaurant with her friends and the film crew of her new reality show. Bristol got on the mechanical bull and rode it. But, as Bristol fell off the mechanical bull a man from the bar started shouting things to Bristol such as “Your mother is a whore,” “Did you ride Levi like that,” and “Your mother is af***ing devil.” Well Bristol was not happy and having any of that especially in front of her film crew and the paparazzi. Bristol quickly walked over and confronted the man and both began shouting and arguing. The Saddle Ranch management tried breaking it up but Bristol and the man kept going at it till the film crew took Bristol away!
You’ve got to hand it to the gang at Dreamworks — they are really trying to promote the hell out of their $80 million robot boxing movie Real Steel . Earlier this week, the studio stuck the film’s star Hugh Jackman into a WWE Raw ring in front of 15,000 wrestling fans who, it’s safe to say, were not too familiar with the work of the Tony Award-winning Australian. A strained, scripted and shameless six minutes worth-of Real Steel -shilling ensued. Today, meanwhile, mega-scale shows of Real Steel marketing continue — at LAX
Brad Pitt baseball movie almost didn’t happen. By Eric Ditzian Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in “Moneyball” Photo: Columbia Pictures As far as baseball books go, Michael Lewis’ “Moneyball” isn’t exactly an obvious candidate for Hollywood’s adaptation machine. It’s filled with geeky tales about the importance of obscure stats like “wins above replacement,” the founding of fantasy sports and the evolution of a guy named Bill James from factory worker to baseball deity. Yet at the center of the story is the quest of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane to turn his small-market, cash-poor ballclub into a perennial champion. And it’s that story that forms the heart of Brad Pitt’s “Moneyball,” an underdog sports narrative quite at home among its Hollywood antecedents. It almost didn’t happen. But like the 2002 A’s, “Moneyball” beat the odds and landed in theaters on Friday (September 23). Here, in cheat-sheet form, is the story of how it all came to pass. Spring Training The adaptation came together in late 2008, with Pitt taking on the Beane role , Steve Zaillian (“Schindler’s List,” “Gangs of New York”) signing on to pen the script and “Devil Wears Prada” helmer David Frankel attached to direct. Steven Soderbergh, though, soon stepped into the director’s chair (or, at least, he planned to; there’d be more roster shakeups in “Moneyball” land before cameras rolled). “My clearly stated goal is to set a new standard for realism in that [sports] world,” Soderbergh told MTV News in the spring of ’09. “I hope it sets a new standard. Hopefully, anybody who makes a sports movie from now on is going to have to grapple with this.” Struggling in the Big Leagues Production was slated to begin that summer, but Sony, concerned about the commercial viability of Soderbergh’s take , called for a directorial pinch hitter only days before the cinematic first pitch was to be thrown. Pitt remained hopeful. “My gut says yes,” Pitt told MTV News in August when asked whether “Moneyball” could see a ninth-inning rally. “[W]e’re still trying to re-mount it. I hope we get to do it soon.” It took a while, but Pitt’s prediction proved correct. “Capote” director Bennett Miller boarded the project that December, reportedly beating out “(500) Days of Summer” helmer Marc Webb for the gig. Aaron Sorkin rewrote the script and Jonah Hill signed on to play Beane’s assistant (a role loosely based on Paul DePodesta, now a player-development exec with the New York Mets). Hill was an unexpected pick for the dramatic role, but the actor laughed with us last year that he wouldn’t ruin the film. “I earned the part,” he said. “Every guy who is in their twenties and making movies was after that part, and it was a very tough thing. I’m really proud to have earned it, you know?” Play Ball Shooting began in the summer of ’10. It’d be a full year before the first trailer for the film hit the Web. Gone was a great deal of the baseball nerdery, as well as Soderbergh’s initial plan to present Bill James in the form of an animated narrator . Instead, Miller delivered a straightforward sports movie: Adversity! Triumph against the odds! More adversity! “These are guys that are working in an unfair game,” Pitt explained to us recently. “They are a team with no money trying to fight — it’s David vs. Goliath. How are they going to be competitive? How are they going to stand a chance? They can’t fight the other guys’ fight; they’re going to lose every time. These guys had to rethink it and rethink what they were doing.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Moneyball.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Brad Pitt And Jonah Hill In ‘Moneyball’
Scarface is one of the most influential movies on hip-hop, and a new version is on the way. Be clear…this will NOT be a remake or a sequel, but a retelling of the film that was made in 1932 starring Paul Muni, and again in 1983 with Al Pacino as the star. According to Deadline.com , the third version of Scarface will be about an immigrant pursuing the American dream by doing dirt. But it’s not yet known if it will focus on an Italian or Cuban like the first two versions of the film, or if the main character will have another ethnicity. Read more about the new Scarface here . RELATED POSTS: Al Pacino Thanks Hip-Hop For “Scarface” Support “Scarface” Limited Edition Blu-Ray Will Set You Back $1,000
Brad Pitt may finally get a reprieve from the firestorm over his comments about Jennifer Aniston . Moneyball hits theaters Friday, and it is flat-out brilliant. Based on the book by Michael Lewis, a story of baseball stats, strategy and differing personalities may not seem like a natural big screen adaptation, but it works. Tremendously, at that. Here’s the trailer for the film … Moneyball Trailer Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, you’ll love this one. Our partners at Movie Fanatic sat down with the cast at the Toronto Film Festival to discuss the film, likely to emerge as a bona fide Oscar contender. For the full scoop on this can’t miss film, follow the links for exclusive interviews with stars Jonah Hill and Chris Pratt , and their official Moneyball review .
Good news and bad news, Oz fans. The good: This December, Profiles in History will be selling a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz as part of their “Icons of Hollywood” auction. This particular pair boasts leather soles that were painted red for the film and an inside lining that reads “#7 Judy Garland.” Additionally, the pair being sold is the actual set of shoes shown at the end of the film when Dorothy clicks her heels. The not so good news, for those on a budget: Dorothy’s ruby slippers are estimated to sell for between $2 million and $3 million. Good luck, bidders! [ EW ]
Star of David Fincher’s film says Rooney Mara was ‘just spot on’ as bad-girl hacker. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Rooney Mara in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” Photo: Columbia Pictures Come on : Rooney Mara is Lisbeth Salander, or as close to the “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” hacker as anyone born outside of Scandinavia could possibly be. We didn’t need to see the latest, longest “Tattoo” trailer to be convinced the previously under-the-radar actress had transformed herself from a girl-next-door type to a worthy big-screen heir not only to the badass in Stieg Larsson’s novel but to Noomi Rapace, who played Salander in the Swedish trilogy. We were sold after the first eye-popping photos of Mara in character appeared in January. Co-star Daniel Craig needed little convincing, as well, even though Mara was reportedly competing for the role with some of the biggest names in Hollywood — everyone from Natalie Portman to Kristen Stewart. “I think I knew pretty early on. I screen-tested with her a couple times and I saw exactly what [director] David [Fincher] was after with her,” Craig told us. “If you read the books, she’s just spot on. Rooney herself is actually really rounded and normal — she’s not boring, honestly — but she had to bring this very broken human being to life and she did it brilliantly.” We were chatting with Craig as he promoted “The Adventures of Tintin,” Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s motion-capture adaptation of the classic French-language comic book series. While the actor spoke glowingly of the film, and previously raved to us about collaborating with Fincher on “Dragon Tattoo” , he confessed to having zero interest in reuniting with Fincher on his next effort, an adaptation of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” which will reportedly rely heavily on mo-cap technology. “He’s got all sorts of things lined up, and I do not want to be on that production,” Craig said. “I will go and visit them. It would be a great film to watch.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ Five Key Scenes From The Trailer
Machine Gun Preacher recounts the true story of Sam Childers, a former drug dealer who undergoes an astonishing transformation in Sudan, finding an unexpected calling as the savior of hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children. Gerard Butler stars as Childers, and emits a tidal wave of emotion as his character sees the horrors in Africa with his own eyes and transforms himself wholly. Our partners at Movie Fanatic sat down with him this week to discuss the film. Follow the links for their Gerard Butler interview and official Machine Gun Preacher review . Here’s the trailer for the film, opening Friday … Machine Gun Preacher Trailer
