When Paramount moved their big-budget genre actioner Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters from March 2012 to January 11, 2013 — ostensibly to wait it out while star Jeremy Renner became a huge box office draw — many were appropriately skeptical. Now that the first trailer has arrived, see for yourself how director Tommy Wirkola ( Dead Snow ) updates the folktale with Renner and Gemma Arterton as the now-grown siblings/witch bounty hunters. Was the release date shuffle a case of brilliant thinking or a classic dumping ground offload? Watch it on YouTube . Gotta be real here: I love me some Renner. And Arterton holds her own as a quippy, capable lady hunter herself (well, except for the getting kidnapped and punched by evil witches part). But does it seem a little too Van Helsing ? Have audiences forgotten The Brothers Grimm ? Is it just me, or would you rather see Renner and Arterton as love interests than siblings? Also, they speak with American accents but she pronounces it “Hahhn-sel.” Sigh. Verdict: Looks too generic to get excited about, but the power of Renner compels me. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Clint Eastwood has starred in and/or directed some of the smartest, most thought-provoking movies I’ve seen in the last 10 years. And that’s making it very hard for me to get my head around his trite, addled performance at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night. I’m not bitching about Eastwood’s politics. I’m pretty certain that I don’t share his ideology, but I can’t help but respect someone who’s not afraid to be politically unpopular in largely liberal Hollywood. I only wish Eastwood’s courage and convictions translated to a more articulate speech and an appearance that didn’t make him look like a GOP pawn. For one thing, what possessed him to let the RNC appropriate the silhouette of his High Plains Drifter character for Mitt Romney’s coronation? The Stranger, as that character was billed in the movie’s credits, ran silent but deep — a far cry from Romney who runs silent and empty. Then there was Eastwood’s assertion in his speech that there are “a lot of conservative people” and moderates in Hollywood, but that they play their cards “close to the vest.” They must because the filmmaker could only name one famous fellow conservative: Jon Voight . That Eastwood followed Voight’s name with the statement: “These are all people that are like-minded,” made me wonder if he needed to up his Centrum Silver dosage. Eastwood, 82, also shot himself in the foot (with a .44 Magnum) when he derisively told the Tampa convention crowd that he wept during Obama’s inauguration. “I haven’t cried that hard since I found out that there’s 23 million unemployed people in this country,” said Eastwood, ploughing past the faulty construction of that sentence and adding: “That is a disgrace, a national disgrace.” Maybe he believes that, but, Eastwood, who made a career out of playing characters, such as Harry Callahan, who ferreted out the ugly truth, didn’t even acknowledge that the unemployment rate may have something to do with the financial meltdown that took place in 2008 under Republican President George W. Bush’s watch. Instead, he blithely trotted out a few more facile statements about how bad things are under the Obama administration before closing with his old Dirty Harry catchphrase, “Make My Day.” Like many of the lines that preceded it, the remark was trite and half-baked — a far cry from such thoughtful, moving films as Hereafter , Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby that have made Eastwood such an original and powerful filmmaker. Clint, you didn’t make my day. You ruined my night. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Clint Eastwood made Twitter’s Day — or at least its night. The veteran actor and filmmaker’s bizarre, aimless speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Thursday night — to a chair that purportedly contained an invisible President Obama — brought out plenty of celebrity tweeters on the social media site. As of Friday morning “Eastwood” was still trending intermittently on the Twitter, and a number of actors and filmmakers’ comments were among the reactions to the Unforgiven actor’s speech. Among them was Magic Mike actress Olivia Munn who tweeted: “Clint Eastwood was talking to an empty chair at the RNC…No, that’s not the set-up to a joke. Its not even a joke.” This Is 40 filmmaker Judd Apatow had fun with the subject on a more oblique level. “Clint used to be Every Which ‘But’Loose . Tonight he got loose,” Apatow tweeted. The truncated film title was a reference to Eastwood’s 1978 buddy picture with an orangutan, Every Which Way But Loose, which seemed to mystify Apatow: “How does that title refer to a relationship with orangutans?” He wrote. “Really. How?” Shaun of the Dead filmmaker Simon Pegg weighed in from the UK, tweeting: “Woken up to excited chatter in the US. Apparently Clint Eastwood had an argument with an empty chair regarding its political standpoint.” Star Trek actor George Takei also weighed in tweeting: Clint Eastwood’s RNC speech was to imaginary Obama in an empty chair. I’m drafting a DNC speech to imaginary Romney in an empty factory.” Nice. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Also in Friday morning’s round-up of news briefs, Sylvester Stallone ‘s son died of ‘natural causes.’ The Academy sets initial deadlines for awards consideration and more… Academy Sets Deadline for Shorts Documentary shorts are due by September 4 at 5pm PT. To be eligible, the documentaries must complete a seven-day commercial run in a theater in either Los Angeles County or in the Borough of Manhattan in New York, between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012. Films completing their qualifying run after September 4 must still complete and submit all paperwork, including legal contracts, by the deadline. Go to their site for more information. CNN’s Piers Morgan: Clint Eastwood was ‘Hollywood Meets Politics Train-wreck’ “The address, which was slotted in ahead of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, did not quite go according to plan, with Eastwood running over time and going off script — in part to perform a monologue with an empty chair meant to represent Obama.” THR reports . Michael Pitt Joins Mary Pickford Pic The First Pitt will appear in the film, The First , about Hollywood legend Mary Pickford will begin production next year. He will play Owen Moore, Pickford’s first husband, Deadline reports . Sage Stallone Died of a Heart Attack Sylvester Stallone’s 36 year-old son Sage died due to blockage of the arteries said the L.A. county coroner. The death has been classified as “natural death” and toxicology results turned up only a small amount of the sedative hydrocodone, BBC reports . 50 Cent’s Manager Dead of Apparent Suicide Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Diddy have been paying tribute to the hip hop businessman on Twitter. Rihanna posted: “Rest peacefully Chris Lighty, my prayers go out to family and loved ones! Dear God please have mercy.” BBC reports .
Also in Thursday’s round-up of news briefs, the Academy approves some new rules for the next Oscars. A crime thriller gets a North American home and is headed to theaters. And, Charlize Theron is teaming on a story about a recently slain war journalist. Academy Approves New Slate of Rules for Next Oscars Among the changes, there will now be five nominees vying for the Original Song category. Also, the “Art Direction” award will now be known as the “Production Design” award. The Academy Awards ceremony is slated for Sunday, February 24, 2013. Crime Thriller Graceland Heads to Theaters Filipino crime saga Graceland will be released next year in theaters and VOD via Drafthouse Films. The Tribeca premiere spotlights the corrupt underbelly of the Philippines’ capital “exposing a world of deceit, exploitation, and startling depravity.” It is slated for the upcoming Fantastic Fest. The deal was negotiated by James Emanuel Shapiro on behalf of Drafthouse Films and Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films on behalf of the film’s producer Rebecca Lundgren. Around the ‘net… The Avengers to Cash In on Labor Day Marvel’s The Avengers is seeking to increase its nearly $1.5 billion worldwide gross by heading to 1,700 theaters, hoping to capitalize on Labor Day moviegoers. It is the third biggest grossing film so far, Deadline reports . Charlize Theron to Produce Film About Slain War Reporter Theron and producer Basil Iwanyk are teaming on a film about the life of journalist Marie Colvin, who was killed in February while covering the civil war in Syria, THR reports . Clint Eastwood’s Republican Convention Prompts Mixed Reaction Delegates in Tampa have begun debating whether spotlighting a Hollywood celebrity was a good idea. THR asked 30 random convention attendees and just five said his presence was “meaningful.”
This August has brought us not one but two ghost possession horror flicks, in the form of The Apparition and The Possession , a double dose of the spooky scary ghoulish torment of nice, innocent people. Why do ghosts always come back to earth to do horrible, icky things? Why wouldn’t they come back to do totally RADICAL things, like make out with hot chicks, race hot rods, and enact some vengeance on bad dudes, all in the form of Charlie Sheen in his prime? I would totally do that if I were a ghost. GUITAR SHRED!! That’s right, get ready for the awesomeness that is the 1986 cult classic The Wraith . The Wraith , from ski movie auteur Mike Marvin, is a sort of unholy mashup of Lost Boys , Near Dark , and 2 Fast 2 Furious: Tuscon Drift . Tall drink of water Nick Cassavetes (son of John and Gena, and the man responsible for bringing you The Notebook ) plays Packard Walsh, the leader of a pack of slightly rapey Road Warrior reject tweakers on a mission to terrorize every dude with a sweet ride into a drag race for their titles. They’re accumulating cars left and right, but Packard can’t have the one thing he wants: the love of stone cold hottie Keri Johnson, as portrayed by living goddess Sherilyn Fenn, seen here before her iconic role as Audrey Horne on Twin Peaks . Our spirit car (Ghost Car, as it shall be named) arrives by comet one desert evening, right around the time Packard and his cronies strongarm some wheels off the local Barbie and Ken. The next morning, Charlie Sheen rides a dirt bike into town sporting a denim tuxedo with no shirt. He comes across Keri waiting on the sidewalk outside her house, which is literally the only thing she does in this movie: she gets picked up and dropped off at her house constantly. This movie exists in the weird, no parents, no school world of the ’80s where everyone appears to be of high school age but has jobs and no authority figures, so who knows? Maybe they’re all 23. The lovely Fenn is unrecognizable, her alabaster skin liberally spray-tanned a deep tawny, sporting a pair of white, stacked heel cowboy boots that I will dream about until I own. She jumps on the back of shirtless stranger Jake’s dirt bike to head for the river (completely ignoring the “never go with Charlie Sheen to a second location” life rule), but stalker Packard just happens to be lurking in his Camaro and insists she ride with him. Packard’s sunbathing wear includes spotless white jeans, motorcycle boots and a leather vest, accessorized with puka shell necklaces and turquoise rings. (Guys, I am deeply obsessed with the fashions of this movie). His activities include creepily staring at Keri, Jake, and his new friend Billy, the little brother of Keri’s old boyfriend Jamie, whose brutal murder has never been solved but definitely, DEFINITELY couldn’t be totally is the gang leader creepily obsessed with Keri. Sherilyn Fenn sort of famously got naked a lot in her early career, but that’s no surprise because, damn girl, that body is bangin’. Of course, said bod is gratuitously exposed throughout the movie during various flashbacks to Jamie’s murder, which happened as the two were getting it on in some remote cabin. Turns out mysterious Jake’s got some scars on his back that look just like the ones Jamie received during his whipping. I’m still not really sure why Ghost Jamie takes the form of Charlie Sheen, even though they explain this away at the end of the movie when he simply says, “This is the closest I could get to who I was.” OK. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. Keri and Billy work at a burger joint called Big Kay’s, which features scantily-clad waitresses dancing on roller skates to “Addicted to Love,” and HOLD UP — is that “Dancing With the Stars” co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet?!? The gang shows up to torment Billy, but they get distracted by the futuristic black on black hot rod (Ghost Car!) that leads them off to their favorite drag racing spot, the empty back roads of the Arizona desert. The gang members, a bunch of hydraulic fluid-guzzling numbnuts with a flair for creative eye makeup, are way, way better than they have to be. Clint Howard himself plays nerd auto-tech Rughead, and the rest of the gang, Oggie, Gutter Boy, and Skank display some real affection and genuinely committed performances. After an exciting, viscerally shot car chase set to a direct rip off of “Danger Zone,” Ghost Car pulls a fast one, causing Oggie to go crashing into him and then off a cliff in a fiery blaze. Then Ghost Car magically reassembles itself through the powers of animation! When highway patrol shows up it’s too little too late for Oggie, who’s had his eyes burned out from the Ghost Car Crash. We are introduced to to Randy Quaid, who chews the scenery while doing his best Dirty Harry as Lt. Loomis. Actual line: “Clam it, wise guy.” All of his quips are PERFECTION. From there, Packard continues to be a creepy stalker to Keri (he calls them “blood lovers” while licking his own blood off his hand), Ghost Car/Ghost Driver continues picking off the gang by murdering them in drag races, or by shooting up all the cars in the warehouse/autoshop where they hang out and listen to Billy Idol. Charlie Sheen disappears for the entire middle portion of the movie, leaving the heavy lifting to his stunt driver and helmeted/suited stunt man. I’m pretty sure he shot maybe three days on this movie, but he does show up for a dirtbike/car chase scene where they manage to hit every cardboard box within a 5 mile radius. Gutter Boy and Skank are amazing in that they give legitimately good performances imbued with some real heart while sporting shimmery pink eyeshadow and snorting WD-40. There is also an intense river make out scene where this exchange happens: Keri: “I dreamed that the man in the moon was laughing at me.” Jake: “He does laugh all the time, you ever notice that?” They both sound like they’re on Quaaludes though, so I’m sure it made sense at the time. Packard finally gets his race with Ghost Driver, which ends up involving both the highway patrol and some 18 wheeler trailers loaded with cars. It’s a veritable Michael Bay wet dream! And who woulda thunk it, the race ends in a huge, fiery explosion with Packard splayed out nude in the wreckage, because of course the explosion blew all his clothes off. Ghost Driver reveals himself as Jake, and then tells Keri he’s Jamie (she’s surprisingly cool/not at all surprised or weirded out that her dead boyfriend has reappeared to her in the form of Charlie Sheen), before he heads to Big Kay’s to leave the TURBO INTERCEPTOR to li’l bro Billy, who, when he realizes it’s his brother, repeatedly shouts “JAKE! JAMIE!” in the parking lot like he’s auditioning for the little boy role in Shane . Keri hops on the dirtbike, Lt. Loomis shrugs his shoulders and she and Jamie/Jake ride off into the moonset. Off to where? California? Space? So, if you’re in the mood for something a little different than your average ghost/demon possession movie, I cannot recommend The Wraith enough. It’s got everything you might need: heart-pounding action, Clint Howard, and Sherilyn Fenn’s boobs. Forget The Possession , The Wraith is where it’s at for the most RADICAL ghost movie this side of 1986. Get more Bad Movies We Love . Follow Katie Walsh on Twitter . 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Director John Hillcoat spent ample time in the the American South, the setting for his latest bootlegging drama Lawless . Starring Shia Labeouf , Tom Hardy , Gary Oldman , Guy Pearce , Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska , the film is inspired by the true-life stories of Matt Bondurant’s own family in his novel, The Wettest County in the World and adapted for the screen by rocker Nick Cave. Lawless begins its roll out in the U.S. Friday. A native of Australia and raised in Canada, Hillcoat nevertheless seems at home in the U.S., or at least feels in the know when it comes to non-studio filmmaking. In Cannes ahead of its world premiere in May, Hillcoat sounded off on the arduous undertaking of film that is story-driven and not reliant solely on gimmickry. Without mentioning any specific examples, he lamented that the business of motion pictures has crowded out filmmakers who use plot as a vehicle for entertainment. “I’m interested in stories in America and Australia or anywhere really, but the state of this is pretty tough now,” he said. “My world [of filmmaking] is medium budgets with characters and story. Those are not words you can use right now in the U.S., unfortunately.” The director of The Road (2009) and The Proposition (2005) and a host of music videos by artists including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bush, Depeche Mode and Nick Cave (who adapted the screenplay for Lawless after previously collaborating with Hillcoat on The Proposition), said there is one medium that dominates storytelling, at least in America. “Television has picked up characters and drama,” he said. “Hopefully this will filter back into films once again.” Though his story is set against Depression-era Appalachia, Hillcoat sees Lawless as a parallel to a litany of social crises that have arisen in subsequent decades after the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution effectively ended the federal prohibition against alcohol. “There are a lot of parallels to today with the economic crisis, today’s Mexican cartels, heroin in New York, crack and cocaine in the ’80s and the war on drugs. All this feeds back to Prohibition in the ’30s.” [ Movieline first published a version of this article at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival ]
So Mitt Romney has been nominated as the Republican party’s presidential candidate. To quote Robert Redford’s money line from The Candidate , “What do we do now?” Even if you plan to watch his extremely fit, catfish-wrangling running mate Paul Ryan speak tonight and Mr. Bain Capital himself on Thursday, there’s a big holiday weekend to wade through before President Obama and the Democrats stage their own dog-and-donkey show beginning Sept. 4 in Charlotte, NC. In other words, it’s a good time to watch some good movies, and, given that the 2012 presidential smackdown is about to go into overdrive, Movieline asked one of the sharpest political analysts we know, Lawrence O’Donnell, host of MSNBC’s The Last Word and an Emmy-winning former producer and writer for The West Wing , to pick five essential movies for our readers to watch in preparation for the 2012 race. His choices are after the break. Now do your homework. 1. The Candidate (1972): If you watch only one movie about American politics, it must be The Candidate . The movie is 40 years old but remains flawlessly up to date and tells you everything you need to know about how campaigns really work. 2. The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979): Alan Alda wrote and starred in this 1979 movie that shows the reality of life for a senator and includes a performance by Meryl Streep at the beginning of her brilliant career. 3. Wag the Dog (1997): Barry Levinson’s brilliant and funny imagining of the collision of politics, sex scandals and war includes hysterical and thoroughly real performances by Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro and Denis Leary. 4. Election (1999): Election wants to show how bitter, nasty and cynical politics can be — so, of course, it is about the election of a high-school class president. Reese Witherspoon’s stunning 1999 performance led to much bigger offers for her. 5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939): Frank Capra’s film is the first important entry in American political film history. Jimmy Stewart’s performance is indelible and this is the only movie ever shot in the US Senate. Follow Lawrence O’Donnell on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Those of you who were hoping for a slightly darker, more emo Avengers instead of the big, fun, dumb superhero spectacle Joss Whedon delivered to overwhelming enthusiasm are in luck — that’s exactly what a newly unveiled deleted Captain America scene and alternate opening sequence provide. Feel Steve Rogers’ existential PAIN as he walks the streets of modern New York City, doomed to a rudderless time-jumping existence filled with dead friends and free wifi! Such is life, Steve. Welcome to the 21st century. I mean, life is so hard for Cappy even a Stan Lee cameo can’t wake him out of his ennui. At least it’s not as much of a downer as Cobie Smulders’ bitchfest of a post-op report. This could’ve opened the movie — in flashback no less, the most overused device of them all — so let’s all thank Whedon for lightening the mood. Can’t wait to see what else awaits in the 30+ minutes of deleted footage when Avengers hits home video. [ Playlist , Yahoo ]
It’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility to think that LeBron James innocently Tweeting his love for the 1996 Looney Tunes-NBA hit Space Jam might perk up the ears of some Hollywood suits out there looking for the next bygone property to rescuscitate. If the world loves Space Jam as much as LeBron, who knows how soon we could have Space Jam 2 on our hands, starring King James as the new Michael Jordan ? RT @ Parletoo : @ KingJames do you love space Jam ?(I love that movie. Wish I could do Space Jam 2!)— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 26, 2012 For those of you whose Space Jam memories are a little fuzzier, let me bring you back to the ’90s: Jordan joins Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes b-ball team in space to play against a team of baddies who have stolen the skillz of terrestrial NBA stars Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues and Shawn Bradley. Jordan wins the Space Jam, hitches a ride on a spaceship to his minor league baseball game as R. Kelly sings “I Believe I Can Fly,” and comes out of retirement to return to the NBA because, well, baseball was never really his thing. And then we all have a booty bass dance party to the sounds of the Quad City DJs. Questions raised herein: A. Do you love Space Jam ? B. Innocent Tweet-love, or does LeBron have some inside info on a sequel? Did the Monstars tip him off?? C. Would Bill Murray reprise his role as Bill Murray? Because if so, I’m onboard. [ @KingJames via ScreenJunkies ]
